lafont

Yes - a mural with an historic department store theme! That's the best idea I've seen for a while. There's info. out there; I did a large article on the history of Taylor's myself, some years ago. I'm sorry the building didn't keep the original name, as did the May Company, Halle's, and Higbee Buildings. Even the Sterling Building eventually went back to that name, even though it was only part of the "Sterling Lindner, etc." department store a relatively short time....

The west wall is super-ugly in its present form. It looks totally like something was recently demolished there and no one did anything about the aesthetics, yet. I can't imagine the developer will leave it anything like it is. Other bldgs. looking out on the open space look fine - basically like new buildings. A shame the way the streetscape was compromised with a demolished building but the right treatment (e.g. dramatic mural, etc.) could enhance the Atrium building, at least.

Yes, part of the original ninth floor has been left. I say "original," but it is not part of the very first plan for Taylor's on that site, as the store was originally only five stories and four stories were added in 1913-14. I'm very happy with the way the current owners have strived to rebuild the old 9th-floor terra-cotta and window pattern.

Not only does the facade look basically like a new building but the paint or other coating, in so effectively covering the seams, obliterates most of the patterns in the flat areas - the diamonds, etc. Again, the unique, terra-cotta look is minimized.

When is Chinato now supposed to open, approximately?

With all that painting going on, the 668 facade looks like a brand new building, of mystery material. Certainly looks more like new limestone than any true semblance of the "terra cotta look." 'Hope whatever they do with the exposed western side makes it look much, much better!

All of a sudden I see now they're painting the section just about the scaffolding a lighter tone - almost a white. I take it, then, the whole area around the storefronts will be this tone? Wonder if there's any historical precedence to it.... It's not just an optical illusion, is it?

A contrasting terra cotta is fine when it's done as in the old days, when they used greens, blues, pinks, etc., but this building was always a uniform terra cotta and the new pieces are very unevenly placed. I can't imagine it looking good, considering the bold contrast between many of the pieces. What paint or a uniform stain spoils here, imho, is what it eliminates - the attractive, natural subtle color variation within unpainted brick, stone, stained shingles, or stucco. And in this case they're painting even the seems. There are still many a terracotta facade on Euclid (Cleveland should be known for its large number of t.c. structures) and you can see how nice the seams look - again for the true terra cotta look. But better all coated a uniform color than some left THAT filthy.

Whatever the coating is it makes the building look too much like limestone. There should be a slight gloss for the true terra cotta look and, obviously the seams' being the same color as the facing diminishes the full terra cotta image. Then, again, it will assumably all have to painted "forever." They probably could have used a coating with at least a slight gloss, like an "eggshell." Might it get another coat? In any case leaving the face with the great contrasts between old and new would be an aesthetic disaster. I expected a decent cleaning.

It's very much still open. The rumor I just heard was that it would close about Dec. 31st. Beachwood also. However, the Eton isn't supposed to even open until Spring, so I don't really think this would be too accurate. Does anyone have anything concrete??? Or at least something in writing?

Now I just heard from someone that Crain's had reported the plan for Brooks Brothers is to close both Tower City and Beachwood when Eton opens!! Has anyone else seen or heard this and where? Can't find it in Crain's search. I see the whole Detroit metopolitan area has only two "regular retail" Brooks Brothers, with one opening only recently in an upscale, exurbia mall, so it is possible we'd have only the one I suppose. Comments, information please!!!

This corridor off Prospect looks pretty nice (mainly because it's got the decoration and proportions one would expect with a ca. 1910 building). I just had no idea anything like that was in there. Sounds like when the complex is finished there will be no way for the public to walk from Euclid to the atrium. Is that correct? How does the atrium space relate to the atrium that was in the Atrium Office Plaze? Totally rebuilt? It would be a real shame if one couldn't get to the atrium from Euclid, although I'm glad it will be connected indirectly with Prospect, anyway.

It was mentioned in early articles - probably the PD. Mentioned were places such as cafes. I have one map that shows three large gray, irregularly shaped "boxes" along Superior - one between E. 13th and E. 14th, the other two between E. 14th and E. 15th." They're labled "future development" and are much larger than any of the townhouse groupings. I also have a small map that appeared in the PD 2/15/08 showing "townhomes" in brown on the western portion of the superblock - east of E. 13th and between Superior and Rockwell. Yes, fronting on Superior.

Okay; I simply wasn't thinking but was looking quickly at my notes when I wrote the "between E. 12th and E. 13th" phase. However, I never said the big project, where the rubble had been, had anything to do with Zaremba. I am slightly disappointed the E. 13th grouping is not now in the cards, and I'm also disappointed they dropped what was planned along Superior Avenue as well. At one time commercial was planned, and then tall residential. I see you're in this association - what is your take on when the next construction will begin. Don't respond when enough are pre-sold please; I'm asking for your guessimate.

I had heard a while ago the next phase in the segment north of Superior would be along E. 15th - at the eastern end of the site. However - and I do keep good notes in a folder - on April 22, 2008 a Mr. Lally (sp?), "Sales Manager," told me specifically he expected the next grouping to be along East. 13th - "....to resemble the two complexes already up but will be twelve units rather than the ten they are." At that time there was much concern about the huge pile of rubble north of Rockwell which, thank goodness, has now been removed. At that time Mr. Lally had expected a large, exciting addition to go up next to what had remained of the complex after demolition - to be situated between E. 12th and E. 13th, between Rockwell and Hamilton Avenues. I know that was dropped, at least for now. Anyway, I've been looking forward, for over a year, for some sign of construction along E. 13th.

New townhouses along East 15th? I had heard the next stage would be townhouses along E. 13th! Please advise. What are the chances of construction beginning this year? Thanks!

Yes, though actually Taylor's took over the Clarence Building in 1923 and remodeled it into its men's department. In 1928 Taylor's took over the Mid-Arcade Building at 615-39 Prospect, which extended its Prospect frontage to the Colonial Arcade. The $15-18 million store and new arcade envisioned by Taylor's around 1928 would have involved demolishing both these annexes, while adding a 17-storey tower. When thsi didn't materialize the store started incorporating parts of the Taylor Arcade into its store.

The original color - or as close as they can reasonably get to it - will be fine. There are other buildings downtown with similar red brick, or they are painted as such. 700 Prospect, for example (painted?), some bldgs. in the Warehouse District, etc.

About that "historic corridor" again - will one be able to get to it from Euclid? That would be really nice, rather than its just being off Prospect.

Here's an old postcard showing the Prospect Theatre with the middle marquee: http://images.ulib.csuohio.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=/postcards&CISOPTR=1999&CISOBOX=1&REC=1

The follow resource, around p. 74, has information on the late Prospect Theatre: http://books.google.com/books?id=fEAyt9UpyIsC&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=%22cleveland%22+and+%22prospect+theatre%22&source=bl&ots=bmozCGWgrn&sig=uNwjdzmZyLwC3uwnAQPEltyr0uM&hl=en&ei=AdeOSrthjsYwvsWIsAo&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1#v=onepage&q=&f=false

McCleveland - Yes, that makes some sense. I was hoping some of the original Taylor Arcade could be resuscitated, even if a total rebuild with entirely new materials, but that had no priority with the developer nor would I expect it to. The three arcades were really very close together.

If not it would always be confusing and a nuisance, considering the name of the apartment complex. Obviously the storefronts have Prospect addresses.

tripspapa - Okay, I see your post where you mention "rebuilding" this corridor. I saw it very quickly and didn't notice details, other than there was an attractive sculptural effects on the walls. You're saying this corridor is actually old, and it has an old floor? Again, I don't believe the old Taylor Arcade was in this location; what else could it have been? Or is it actually entirely new? Actually, I see in my old photo of the original Taylor Arcade it appears to have had a glass ceiling, so I don't really know how that would have fit into the configuration of the complex.

In trying to respond to my own question, asking exactly where the Taylor Arcade had been, I referred to my own article on the history of the complex. One photo is of the original facade of the department store. With the two entrances on Euclid, I'm assuming the entrance toward the west led into the Arcade, which incidentally was only one floor. However, it would have been very near the Colonial Arcade. A photo showing the Prospect Avenue side of the complex, however, shows a building with a Hough Bakery located where the parking garage currently is situated. This had a canopy or porte-cochere which looks like it could have led to the Arcade, but I'm assuming the Taylor Arcade was with the actual terra-cotta faced Department Store - right? I know by the 'ate '20s some of the Arcade shops had been incorporated into the department store, as also was done some time with Higbee's and an arcade in the Terminal complex - e.g. men's department, optical.