Not sure why this now deceased building popped into my head today but out of nowhere I got all pissed again that it was demolished in the late '90s.  Would have been a spectacularly cool rehab for something.

 

Anyone got any pics?  Best I could find on the web was the emporis entry:

 

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=171977

I will say that the bldg looks to be a difficult option for adaptive reuse.  Although, it is ashame it had to go  :cry:

was that behind the Police Department on Payne?  That's a beaut...why wasn't it saved? 

they tore that down? awwgh.  :x

 

from emporis: featured on the cover of the architectural forum may, 1931. double awwgh!  :shoot:

 

 

MGD, you're right - this building was located between the Third District PD Precinct and Tower Press. I remember being at a party in one of the loft buildings on Superior and looking out the window and seeing the demo in progress :-( Oddly enough, it's listed as a city landmark which doesn't really give it any protection but it's odd that it was demolished regardless.

That was one of my first subjects with my B&W camera.  I shot the demo and developed the pics myself.  I'll scan some in later!

 

I remember how cool I thought the demo looked, but I had no idea what they were tearing down... All for a damned parking lot!

I could be wrong but I think the demo occurred before the idea of renovating Tower Press came along.

I'm sure there were people thinking about the Tower Press building, but there were no signs whatsoever of anything being done.  I took pictures of that too, all ivy covored and beautiful.

 

Was the Criminal Courts building attached to the current police HQ?  I don't believe the TP lot was a result of the demo...

I would guess that it wasn't attached to the police HQ - the courts building was distinctively Art Deco, and the police HQ is very much Beaux Arts/neoclassic.

true that.  they may have been connected by some sort of walkway, but I can't recall.  I'll have to check it out sometime...see if there are any markings on the rear of the precinct building or if my photos have any evidence.

Sadly I'm pretty sure I remember reading or hearing that there was a concensus in city hall that not both Tower Press and the Crim Courts building could be saved- at least partly because of the parking situation.  So lame! That building was so cool- moody and muscular and such a cool emblem of its era.

 

I don't think it was connected to the police station above ground but there verywell may have been tunnels.

There are some great shots of the decaying building in the Historic American Buildings Survey.

 

 

Here are a couple PD articles from when it was torn down:

 

LAST-MINUTE APPEAL FOR DOOMED COURTS

Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)

June 8, 1997

Author: STEVEN LITT

 

Article Removed.

 

 

 

HISTORY WILL DO IT JUSTICE DEMOLITION OF CRIMINAL COURTS BUILDING WON'T REDUCE ITS PRESENCE IN CITY'S LORE TO RUBBLE

Plain Dealer, The (Cleveland, OH)

September 28, 1997

Author: BRIAN E. ALBRECHT PLAIN DEALER REPORTER

 

Article Removed

what a shame. i am glad you found that info i could not find a thing. great pics.

 

 

 

Sickening. I remember when this was happening. It's stuff like this -- tearing down an architectural wonder for a parking lot -- that makes Ohio look so impossibly lame. Sadly, we show few signs of getting away from this parking-centric perspective anytime soon.

kind of like a baby buffalo city hall?