Yanbing Chen, owner of Cleveland Violins, is thrilled with his building's location and the community's response.  Photo by Mark Majewski.
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Patience is a virtue in the development business. Patience paid off ten fold in the case of 2917 Mayfield Road, just west of Honda Motorcars. The building, vacated by In House Furniture a few years ago, sat forlornly, watching the thousands of cars make their daily commute downtown. Its patience was rewarded when Cleveland Heights resident Yanbing Chen purchased the building in January 2008.

Chen is the president of Cleveland Violins, formerly Goronok String Instruments. The full service violin shop specializes in the sales, rental and repair of violin family instruments and their bows. It carries a large selection of handmade instruments and bows. Cleveland Violins offers instruction space for budding and experienced musicians, and carries a wide range of cases and accessories.

Goronok String had been an anchor on Magnolia Drive in University Circle for nearly ten years. Chen’s clientele includes young students as well as musicians from the Cleveland Orchestra and beyond. As his business grew, Chen searched for opportunities to purchase his own building. His was one of those thousands of cars that passed 2917 Mayfield Road daily. Chen’s patience was rewarded when he acquired the building.

As well as renaming the company, Chen had to reinvent the building and turned to the city of Cleveland Heights' Department of Planning & Development for assistance. He worked with the city's design consultant, Tim Barrett, throughout the spring on various façade elevations and sign designs. It was agreed that the building needed special awnings and signage to highlight Chen’s unique business. Chen was also concerned about sunlight from the large windows along Mayfield Road negatively impacting his display instruments. The design team agreed that a window film with solar control would protect his instruments and still retain the storefront glass.

Armed with Architectural Board of Review and Board of Zoning Appeals approvals for the sign size, construction on the exterior of the building began in August. The city provided Chen with a storefront grant and zero-percent loan for the significant investment on the exterior, and he utilized his own equity for significant improvements on the interior.

The transformation of the building this fall is impressive. The renovations add vibrancy and interest to the street. Cleveland Violins' home is a statement not only about what Yanbing Chen can offer his customers, but what he offered his community and home. He changed the image of the city along the western stretch of Mayfield Road.

Cleveland Violins’ hours are 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Visit online at www.clevelandviolins.com.

Kim Steigerwald is the assistant director of planning and development for the city of Cleveland Heights.