May 9, 200520 yr Then again, its demolition WOULD bring into view the entire east facade of the rotunda...
May 9, 200520 yr Didn't the original plan for the Ameritrust Bldg. call for a "twin" tower to be built on 1010 Euclid? That would've been kinda a cool complex, and a couple of ugly buildings. lol!
May 9, 200520 yr I think this is just awesome news ... for many years I've thought that the AT Tower is the most hideous tall building in Cleveland. I'd certainly prefer tearing it down and building something new, hopefully >28 stories. But the skinning thing would work for me, too, it would be like gaining a whole new building, as my eyes tend to avert when seeing AT.
May 9, 200520 yr I just wish building an additional tower wasn't necessary for the new County site... It seems ridiculous when we're always hearing about office vacancies, that we'd abandon existing officies for newly built ones. That whole new development/expansion without growth thing. But pretty new buildings are nice aswell and could always serve and inspiration for others go get building I suppose however unlikely it may be.
May 10, 200520 yr I agree with the sentiment Qwios, but I think if they rehab the one building and then build a second I think it works out. Otherwise, I cant see anyone right now going into the AT building, and it would be a shame to have a building on 9th and Euclid go to waste.
May 10, 200520 yr I would think that 1010 Euclid would be to valuable rehabbed as offices or residential to knock down for parking. I'm sure that lawyers or engineers or someone would pay top dollar to have offices right next to the county's. Certainly more than a small surface lot could generate. You couldn't park more than 20 cars on the lot where that building stands.
May 10, 200520 yr from Crain's County zeros in on Ameritrust site May 09, 2005 By JAY MILLER Cuyahoga County commissioners are leaning strongly toward selecting the former Ameritrust Corp. headquarters, at East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue, for the new county administration building. The historic Cleveland Trust rotunda building and the adjacent 28-story tower make up one of three sites still in the running for the project. However, the county is considering knocking down the tower and constructing a new building with additional parking in its place, according to commissioner Jimmy Dimora. "That's the site that's of interest to everybody" on the Board of County Commissioners because developer Richard E. Jacobs "is willing to deal," Mr. Dimora said. "So, if we can get a good price, it's a good site," he said. Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones was more circumspect. "You didn't hear that from me," he said when asked in a telephone conversation if the Ameritrust site was the front-runner. "I won't confirm that." The third commissioner, Tim Hagan, was out of town and unavailable for comment. Knocking down the skyscraper would eliminate the main obstacles to the Ameritrust site. The existing building has small, hard-to-reconfigure floor plans. A new building would eliminate that problem, and would allow the county to create a short-term parking structure with easy access to county offices. A parking garage on East Ninth Street south of Prospect Avenue is connected to the Ameritrust complex by an enclosed bridge. However, Mr. Dimora said none of the existing sites currently offers close-in parking for people who come to the county administration building for tasks such as paying their property taxes or buying a dog license. The Richard E. Jacobs Group of Westlake owns the Ameritrust building, which has been vacant for more than a decade. The privately owned company has been selling off real estate properties nationwide as part of an estate-planning strategy of Mr. Jacobs, who will be 80 in June, and his partners in the firm. Mr. Dimora said a "formal decision" on a site and a public announcement can't be made until after a meeting this Thursday, May 12, with financial advisers to satisfy the commissioners that the county's financial standing will remain strong if it undertakes the project. The county intends to finance the administration building through an agreement that would allow it to lease the structure with an option to buy. But the county also is preparing to finance a new Juvenile Intervention Center. The pair of real estate deals could affect the county's bond rating. "We're weighing all those facts to make sure we're not overextending ourselves," Mr. Dimora said. Because it is negotiating a lease rather than purchasing a site and hiring a contractor, the actual cost of the project - whether or not it includes demolition of the building - is more a burden of the developer than the county. The county has predicated its site search on the premise that it is expecting to pay no more annually for office space than it is now. Which site the commissioners would select has been the hottest topic in downtown real estate circles for months. A call for proposals issued by the county produced eight candidates last May with a decision expected by the end of the year. That number was cut to four in early November and then reduced to three later that month. The two still standing besides the Ameritrust Building are the Higbee Building on Public Square and the building at 668 Euclid, which would be expanded to fit the county's needs. The site eliminated late last year was on the bluff overlooking Lake Erie between West Third and West Ninth streets. The county is looking for a building of about 700,000 square feet to house offices now in the 50-year-old administration building and to consolidate offices scattered in 10 other buildings in or near downtown. The project would be the largest downtown office project since Key Tower opened in 1989.
May 10, 200520 yr For those who don't know where the other option for a new tower would go. 668 Euclid Ave - A tower at this site would definitely help fill in some of the gaps in the skyline.
May 10, 200520 yr I may very well be the only one here that feels this way, but I don't think the loss of AT Tower, 1010 Euclid, and the adjacent lowrise portion of the building at 9th and Prospect would be any great loss if demolished. While I understand the concern for the loss of a sizeable highrise building, I think that a much more impressive project would be able to take place. 1010, while an older building that would be great for a rehab into residential with street level retail, seems out of place at the site, and when viewed looking east from Euclid and Ninth it exposes a side that was obviously intended to be covered up by another building. By opening up the site, it would be possible to construct a new building that highlights the rotunda much more than the current setup does by wrapping around both the east and south walls. I'd much rather see an architecturally stunning 15-20 story complex than a hodgepodge of reskinned and renovated buildings just for the sake of maintaining a slightly taller building.
May 10, 200520 yr ^ Good point. The current Ameritrust tower treats the rotunda as an afterthought! KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 10, 200520 yr ^ It did always bother me how the E. 9th facade of the tower is set back about 4 or 5 feet from the sidewalk, leaving part of the firewall of the rotunda exposed.
May 12, 200520 yr I was doing some research on the ECP project, and I found this website. It says that if 668 Euclid Ave. is not chosen for the county headquarters that the owner has received tax credits to convert the building into 224 apartments. There is a lot of cool information on this website which I will be posting under the ECP thread. http://www.downtownclevelandpartnership.com/pdf/euclid.pdf
May 12, 200520 yr Yeah, that site's a lot of fun to look at. It paints a very optimisitc impression of the not-too-distant future. On the subject of 668...I was told that the major allure to that building, aside from location, is the fact that historic renovation tax credits could be used to fund a major portion of the costs. This surprised me because I had no idea that the building was anything special. So, who has pictures of what it looked like before that ugly facade was put on and was subsequently stripped to it's present existence as a building that looks as thought it could just crumble to the ground at any moment???
May 13, 200520 yr I don't have a picture, but it was a cream or yellow terra cotta facade. Kind of Chicago style, if I remember right. If you look carefully and fill in the blanks in the facade with terra cotta instead of the under material that is showing, you can get the idea for the most part.
May 13, 200520 yr From clevelandmemory.org - I'm pretty sure the 668 building is the white structure on the right side of the photo: And here, the building with the large awning to the right of the 'Hipp' (Hippodrome Theatre): clevelandskyscrapers.com Cleveland Skyscrapers on Instagram
May 13, 200520 yr MayDay: That second picture you posted is awesome. It is amazing to think that Euclid Ave. used to be like that all of the time. Hopefully with the ECP it can come back to its once glorious state.
May 14, 200520 yr man, those pictures just break my heart...more people than cars...no parking lots...active storefronts... by the way...anyone want to fund the unsheathing of the opposite corner (SW) of 9th and Euclid? I hear there's a beautiful building under there somewhere too!
May 15, 200520 yr a leg? KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 15, 200520 yr I think the Cleve Trust site is a good one. I wanted the W. 3rd site, at first, but well... then Higbee’s, but frankly, I'm still holding out hope that we can get some kind of retailer in the 1st 2 levels of that beautiful, sad empty shopping edifice. At the Cleveland Trust site, maybe the upwards of 2,000 workers can help pump some life into our largely vacant financial district and Playhouse Sq. Not to mention the fact that it’s a crime that the historic/gorgeous CleveTrust dome has sat empty for over a decade.
May 18, 200520 yr Well they got their site, and I am glad they picked the Ameritrust building. County commissioners buy Ameritrust complex Cuyahoga County commissioners have decided to buy the former Ameritrust complex, at Euclid Avenue and East Ninth Street, for $25 million and eventually convert the site into a new home for county government offices. The commissioners, however, will sit on the property for now. The county does not currently have the money to build a new administration center. The commissioners have a more immediate priority: Build a new juvenile detention center. Hopefully they do not sit on this site for too long. I wish they could just move this thing along and finish it.
May 18, 200520 yr Old Ameritrust site picked for county governing center Wednesday, May 18, 2005 Joan Mazzolini Plain Dealer Reporter Cuyahoga County plans to pay $22 million for the old Ameritrust complex in downtown Cleveland to create a new center for county government. But it's unclear when construction cranes will be on the site, at Euclid Avenue and East Ninth Street. The county commissioners are still deciding how to finance the construction...
May 18, 200520 yr With the nice housing that has recently been completed. I hope that the 2,000 plus employees will drive the need for more restaurants to open. Which will benefit workers during the day and residents/theater patron's at night. The county & city as well as the B.I.Ds. (Playhouse Square and Gateway) need to work to get more day-to-day type of establishments (doctors, lawyers, beauty services, florist, convienience store, etc.) in the area. The county could help promote "living and working" in the neighborhood. This is a "win-win" situation not only for Euclid Avenue but the Huron Road and Playhouse Square.
May 18, 200520 yr Glad to see the county choose that site. It will actually help alleviate some of the sting from the loss of the DFAS Center, just up East 9th. Even if Cleveland/federal officials can pull a rabbit out of the hat and keep those jobs in town, it probably won't be on East 9th. I don't have an opinion on whether the ol' Ameritrust Tower should be demolished for a new one, or given a new facade. All I care about is that the old Cleveland Trust rotunda is returned to its historic slendor, and anothing f*cking surface parking lot doesn't emerge from the dust of this project. Designing quick-in-and-out parking in a crowded urban setting, without resorting to an open-air surface parking lot, is not rocket science. But it does take some creativity -- something that's often in short supply in the county government. But they did get the Ameritrust site selection right. The blind squirrel has found the acorn! KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
May 18, 200520 yr I hope that we see some plans for the two alternatives. It is kind of a waste to form any opinions until we see what their ideas are.
May 19, 200520 yr I'm with Peter Lawson Jones...keep the tower and spruce it up a little bit...but dear me, don't hurt our rotunda! Cover that glass with a hundred thousand pillows if you must!
May 19, 200520 yr I'm with Peter Lawson Jones...keep the tower and spruce it up a little bit...but dear me, don't hurt our rotunda! Cover that glass with a hundred thousand pillows if you must! I'm all for mazimizing cost savings, but I wouldn't mind be opposed to seeing the plans for the new "towers". Who knows this could be something fabulous that dramatically enhances our skyline as well as enhance the E. 9/Huron & Euclid Corners.
May 19, 200520 yr I'm happy to hear that the AT site was chosen, but wonder why they would choose it if they knew that they would have to tear down the existing tower. I can understand rehab costs but what might it cost to bring down a 28 story building (without damaging the rotunda)? Without knowing more I would favor the re skinning along with the proposed 15 floor addition.
May 19, 200520 yr lots of questions, indeed. I'm afraid that we're just going to have to sit and wait for a minute. As we all know, the final decision on the Convention Center site will have some bearing on this project as well. If the existing site is chosen, the County will likely have a more defined move-out date. Otherwise, where's the pressure to get the ball rolling? They can just sit and collect income from the parking structure and wait for the price of steel to drop...
May 19, 200520 yr ^ Good point about just sitting and collecting parking revenues. But, I believe one of the reasons why they are consolidating the offices is to decrease the amount of money they are spending on leases. It would kind of be like having a double mortgage if they were to just sit on this thing for a few years.I kind of hope that the existing cc site is chosen because I think that it will speed this up.
May 20, 200520 yr Today's PD reports on the squabble between Commissioners and Juvi Court Judges. Judges want the Court to remain downtown, commiss want to move to E 93rd. Since the Commissioners are going to add new construction at the AT site wouldn't that be an ideal solution for the Court? The AT rotunda would certainly set the decorum that the court would want and I've seen several courts that worked perfectly in multi function high rises...The Ohio Supreme Court did for years. Plus this will get the AT project moving much quicker
May 21, 200520 yr Today's PD reports on the squabble between Commissioners and Juvi Court Judges. Judges want the Court to remain downtown, commiss want to move to E 93rd. Since the Commissioners are going to add new construction at the AT site wouldn't that be an ideal solution for the Court? The AT rotunda would certainly set the decorum that the court would want and I've seen several courts that worked perfectly in multi function high rises...The Ohio Supreme Court did for years. Plus this will get the AT project moving much quicker I wouldn't mind seeing a super tall tower created with the juvi court thrown in. in addition, us tax payers will foot the bill for this fight! :weird: :weird: I wonder what kind of positive economic impact moving this facility eastbound could have on the neighborhood since there is nothing on the preferred site, at this moment.? Could this be a catalyst for development for future development?? restaurants, businesses that cater to those working a the court complex that would also be sustained by the community? just a thought. :? :?
May 21, 200520 yr Any business created by the new court would cater to the workers, and not the delinquents. Alleged juvenile offenders generally are not the type that carry a lot of extra cash and spend it on swanky little restaurants. I think that the County wants to keep that type of use away from the CBD
September 1, 200519 yr Commissioners vote to buy Ameritrust complex By JAY MILLER 12:57 pm, September 1, 2005 Cuyahoga County commissioners made it official today — county offices will be moving to the corner of East Ninth Street and Euclid Avenue. At their regularly scheduled weekly meeting, the commissioners voted unanimously to approve the purchase, for $21.7 million, of the Ameritrust complex owned by the Richard E. Jacobs Group. The vote brings to an end a year-long search process that eliminated six other contenders for the county headquarters. “In the long run, we have the best site, the best location, for the county to grow,” said Commissioner Jimmy Dimora. Still undecided is whether the county will tear down or renovate the 28-story, Marcel Breuer-designed tower built in 1971 by the Cleveland Trust Co. Two other buildings on the site — one at 1010 Euclid Avenue and the other at the corner of East Ninth and Prospect Avenue — are set for demolition and may be replaced by a smaller companion to the existing tower. The 100-year-old Cleveland Trust rotunda and its stained-glass dome will remain, as will a garage on the south side of Prospect Avenue, connected to the complex by an enclosed bridge. The commissioners haven’t estimated what it will cost to make the complex home for as many as 2,000 county workers. However, they said the cost will not add to the county budget. They intend to spend no more than what the county now spends to house its workers at 11 sites scattered around the downtown area, which would put the project cost somewhere beyond $100 million. Jay Ross, the county’s director of central services, said the county will solicit bids for architectural and engineering services and decide how to solve the tower’s asbestos problems. He said that it is premature to set a completion date, though he added that asbestos remediation, demolition and construction could take three to five years. At the same meeting, the commissioners agreed to pay administration building consultant Staubach Co. $2.615 million for its consulting services and the services of its subcontractors. Staubach already had been advanced $385,000. The $2.6 million is less than anticipated since a change in financing and construction plans means that Staubach will not continue to work for the county once the Ameritrust complex purchase is completed, which is expected by the end of the year.
September 5, 200519 yr From the 9/4/05 PD: Cuyahoga rushes purchase of Ameritrust complex downtown Sunday, September 04, 2005 Joan Mazzolini Plain Dealer Reporter Cuyahoga County commissioners rushed to complete the purchase of the old Ameritrust complex downtown to be eligible for $3 million in state money to rid the buildings of asbestos. The commissioners voted Thursday to buy the buildings and parking garage from the Richard E. Jacobs Group for $21.7 million, $300,000 less than originally stated. The county wants to turn the complex, at Euclid Avenue and East Ninth Street, into a new county government center... http://www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/cuyahoga/1125826320189100.xml&coll=2
September 15, 200519 yr LONG LIVE AMERITRUST TOWER!!! I'm officially starting the movement to save this architectural gem! Call me the Jane Jacobs of the Modernist Movement...
September 15, 200519 yr ^ with all do respect MGD, you are on crack! We are saving the crappy brutalist addtion that guy built onto the art museum, that is enough. Give me a hammer, I will personally start the demolition
September 16, 200519 yr I'll help you! Problem is, if they tear it down, the new building probably won't be as tall. I'd hate to lose some downtown heighth. KJP "In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage." -- John Steinbeck
September 16, 200519 yr I agree with KJP on this. No way anything gets built that is this tall. Plus, I think with a little better care and placement - for example they've already agreed to tear down the two attached buildings (one on Euclid - left side in first pic- and one on E.9), but keep the rotunda and the parking garage - this starts to make a difference. add a litte green space and some benches for the county employees to smoke on...and... A good building cleaning, some tasteful lighting - this building has always been dark at night, even years ago when it was occupied (i think). On another note, why aren't the buildings in Cleveland ever cleaned??? I've seen them cleaning the Towercity office towers, and many of the rehabs get a good clean, but how about the landmark building or how about every 5 years? Give me a break. This is a great building but from the river looks terrible. a few well placed lights in the cutouts and a good scrubbing makes this look great as well. <img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1231.jpg" alt=""> <img src="http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b102/urbanlife/IMG_1228.jpg" alt="">
September 16, 200519 yr LONG LIVE AMERITRUST TOWER!!! I'm officially starting the movement to save this architectural gem! Call me the Jane Jacobs of the Modernist Movement... I guess all those trips over to flushing avenue, when you were living in Brooklyn, have caught up with you! :drunk:
September 17, 200519 yr This may be an argument for the architecture thread, but I really do think this building is significant and attractive in its own way. There are definitely UGLY modernist buildings downtown, but this one is chock-full-of-windows and is (in my opinion) one of the most notable examples of late-era modernist architecture. I can do without Breuer's CMA addition...that does nothing for me...but this one gets me going! One of my favorite views, with some modifications (original, courtesy of ClevelandSkyScrapers.com):
September 17, 200519 yr add a litte green space and some benches for the county employees to smoke on...and... I say ixnay on the green space. Euclid Avenue isn't built for green space -- it's built for density.
September 17, 200519 yr I like the art museum expansion better than that tower. We already have a nice new little plaza to the rear of the property. I agree with Blinker that additional green space would be inappropriate for Euclid Ave.
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