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Things are bustling on Euclid Avenue. From this week’s debut of the brand-new Barnes & Noble bookstore to the forthcoming openings of a grocery store, a Verizon Wireless shop, restaurants, apartments and more, the Uptown project is now in full swing. Though significant construction is still taking place, Barnes & Noble is officially open for business. The 18,300-square-foot Barnes & Noble opened Monday, offering textbooks, of course, but also a large selection of popular hardcover and paperback books, ���ϳԹ���-branded apparel and gifts, dorm necessities, school supplies and more. The new bookstore also features a Starbucks with plenty of space to enjoy coffee, snacks and books.

Next door to Barnes & Noble is the 2,200-square-foot Verizon Wireless store, which should open its doors in the coming weeks. On the other side of the bookstore, Constantino’s Market is slated to open its doors in April. The grocery store will cover 12,500 square feet, giving the university community a much-anticipated place to shop for food—both fresh and prepared. Across the street, expect the excitement to continue throughout the summer, as new restaurant concepts prepare to open. Joining the area’s dining scene will be Chipotle, Jimmy John’s, Panera Bread and Accent, a Pan-Asian fusion restaurant from ’s Scott Kim. In addition, a yet-unnamed specialty pizza shop by /’s Jonathan Sawyer will make its debut in late summer, and Ohio City’s will expand to the east side when it opens its second location on the ground floor of the Triangle Apartments this summer. Parking for the retail outlets is available in a lot behind the Barnes & Noble store (accessed from East 115^th Street). In the future, the lot on the corner of Euclid Avenue and Ford Road will be opened for retail parking, plus 100 metered spaces in the Triangle Apartments parking lot.

Beyond dining and retail outlets, there’s a flurry of residential activity in the works, including 114 brand-new apartments on Euclid Avenue and more than 500 apartments nearby. In future phases of the Uptown project, developers plan to add 100 to 200 apartments and condominiums to the area, and Marriott International is building a Courtyard by Marriott hotel near Mayfield Road and Euclid Avenue. The hotel, which will open in 2013, will be located across from the new Museum of Contemporary Art Cleveland, which is on schedule to welcome visitors in early October. The building’s reflective black stainless-steel façade is already grabbing people’s attention—well before its completion, and before anyone can see what’s on the inside. The entire Uptown project is creating a sense of excitement and anticipation for the university community. “Years ago, we envisioned Uptown would be a mixed-use development project that would accelerate the revitalization of University Circle into a more dynamic urban retail and entertainment district,” said Kevin Slesh, director of the Office of Real Estate. “These efforts will provide immediate opportunities for ���ϳԹ��� students, faculty and staff to interact, live and enjoy all University Circle has to offer.”