i didn't know where else to put this, so... i am "that guy", who feels the need to walk the euclid corridor at lunch every day (and usually after work) to check the "progress".  Well today i saw something that got me as excited as i've been about anything in downtown in a long time.  A couple days ago i noticed some scaffolding going up by a vacant store front at the euclid and 9th tower (formerly schofield building).  I had heard some rumors flying around (2nd and 3rd hand mind you) that the owner of this building may be looking at doing a feasability study on the restoration of this building, and if things looked good he may be applying for tax credits in the next round (perhaps this has something to do with the fact that the ground floor is now completely abandoned and there is a high vacancy rate in the offices).  Well while walking by today i noticed that on the 9th street side of the building they have taken down about 4 stories worth of those puke brown metal panels have been removed. I have always thought that this is one of THE ugliest buildings in all of downtown... and if you've ever seen a picture you know that this was one of the absolute gems of the city.  i don't have a pic, but here is a link to a crappy one... but it should give you the idea.  I may now be off to pray that this gets moving.  http://www.loopnet.com/xNet/MainSite/Listing/Profile/ProfileSE.aspx?LID=15410832&linkcode=10850&sourcecode=1lww2t006a00001

i didn't know where else to put this, so... i am "that guy", who feels the need to walk the euclid corridor at lunch every day (and usually after work) to check the "progress". 

 

You mean that there are people who don't do this kind of stuff??

Yeah, heres hoping that it is returned to its former glory from the horribly ugly duckling that it now is!!

McCleveland, do you have a camera?  What does it look like behind the hideousness?   

^^^Wow- excellent!!  So what did it look like under those gross panels?  Any chance some kind UOer could snap a shot?

 

Edit: willyboy wants the photo even more than I do.

Folks at the Historic Gateway Neighborhood organization told me about a year that the newowner of the Euclid-Ninth Tower would be removing the modernized skin and expose the Schofield Building underneath. I'm so glad to hear that this might not be a rumor.

MAYDAY! start walking, get pics! :-D

i sit on the HGN board, they've been trying to get him to move forward with this for awhile but even as of last night, when chatting with the HGN project director, he was unaware of anything going on... i put a call in to see what's up.  The building is in better shape than i thought but there are still some gaping holes in the brick.  Whoever decided to slap that skin up should be put in jail.

Great news! Are there any other building downtown besides the Euclid and 9th tower and the buildings next to the Statler that have been "modernized" like this?  Also, I am writing this after a walk down Euclid and East 4th to check on "progress".

From the 19th floor of the Huntington:

 

OMG, you bunch of dorks need to just settle down. First - WHO goes out of their way to check on the Euclid progress?!? Second - it's just an old building - big deal! Like I care!

 

Oh alright, I confess: I had photos of this by 12:20:

 

Looks like some of the decorative work on the top portion of the pilasters might be damaged but it's probably fixable:

 

 

 

I'd be curious if they plan to restore the clock tower on the corner:

Thanks a ton both W28 and Mayday!  Thats very exciting!

 

Great news! Are there any other building downtown besides the Euclid and 9th tower and the buildings next to the Statler that have been "modernized" like this?  Also, I am writing this after a walk down Euclid and East 4th to check on "progress".

 

jmc8651, I cant think of any that are as grotesque as that one right off, but look at the less than attractive alteration they did to the building right next to the 9th and Euclid building on Euclid (where the CVS is)  You can see original in above picture.

it is ridiculous how excited i am about this... and that damage is minimal compared to the wt grant building...  http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php?topic=805.0

 

Get it done!

 

Wow- thanks guys for posting the photos.  This could be seriously exciting.  C'mon tax credits, do your magic again!!

As long as they don't strip the paneling and let it linger and linger and linger and linger and linger and... you know, like the Atrium Building. Sure, *I* know the reason it looks the way it does but Joe Blow on the street doesn't and in turn, that gives jack@sses like Feagler more ammo to call the Euclid Corridor project a boondoggle.

 

The least they could do is plaster up a banner saying "This building looks like this because we had to strip the 70s panels off to try to qualify for historic tax credits - so quit b!tching already!".

 

The least they could do is plaster up a banner saying "This building looks like this because we had to strip the 70s panels off to try to qualify for historic tax credits - so quit b!tching already!".

 

You should go into the signage business. I like your style.

it will be interesting to see how they handle this.  Unlike 668 which is vacant, there are still tenants here.  I'd imagine a restoration of this magnitude would be rather loud and disruptive.  Not to mention eventually they'll have to remove all those windows.

 

The least they could do is plaster up a banner saying "This building looks like this because we had to strip the 70s panels off to try to qualify for historic tax credits - so quit b!tching already!".

 

You should go into the signage business. I like your style.

 

I'm a designer, not a copywriter ;-)

 

Holy Sh!t!  Damn 70's... still takes 30-50 years to recover.  If this continues with daily work, I too will find myself checking the "progress" everyday (man, not another thing on my mind...)

While they're at it, they should restore the frontage of the City Club/CVS building too.

omg omg how awesome is this! tell feagler to take a pill!

 

The least they could do is plaster up a banner saying "This building looks like this because we had to strip the 70s panels off to try to qualify for historic tax credits - so quit b!tching already!".

 

You should go into the signage business. I like your style.

 

I'm a designer, not a copywriter ;-)

 

 

You know what what the world needs more of though, right?

 

World-class signage.

^ That's so 2007.

I just passed by and they have peeled panels all the way down to the 1st floor.  To me it looks like most of the damage was self inflicted probably to make sure it's beautiful 70's brown metal skeleton.  I may actual start writing to local and state officials to have a law created where anyone who even proposes doing something like this is immediately put to death.

Death by encasement in aluminum?

I was actually thinking of some sort of "labotamy" the way they used to be performed in the jack the ripper days... you know, some sort of blunt object driving a spike into the temple.... but i think i like this death by encasement in aluminum better... seems appropriate.

I walked by the Eucild and 9th tower today and it appears that they are recovering the building with the metal panels removed last week. Does this mean they backed off the project due to the condition of the facade or is it common to have a "trial run" to see what the condition of the facade is, how hard it is to remove the metal etc. then to proceed when the weather is better?

^I doubt it means much either way.  As bad as that metal paneling looks, I'm guessing the owners just don't want their building looking like it has an uneven skin disease unless and until they are ready to proceed full steam ahead.  Here' hoping.

The owner of that building (Dave Calabrese) did indeed receive a pre-development grant from the Historic Gateway Neighborhood for this little project.  They remove the panels to document the condition of the building, and get an idea of how much work needs to be done.  They will be applying for historic tax credits for the work.  It also depends on whether or not they can find any drawings / enough photographic evidence to merit the work.  While waiting for this all to play out they will recover the building with those blasphemous metal panels.  If anyone has any quality pictures of this building, particuarly showing details, and would like to get them to me I can pass them along.

That's great news, McCleveland. There's some photos at Cleveland Memory. I know there's been a ton of photos taken at the corner of East 9th and Euclid over the years and a lot of them are posted at that site.

^most of the photos on cleveland memory at that intersection focus on the rotunda, the city club building, and the former hicox building and bond department store (where nat city now stands).  I have found photos of this particular building very hard to come by... which is what worries me.

I'll keep my eyes open for some photos.

Watch this building this summer... watch it.  :wink:

 

I'll open a separate thread when the time is appropriate.

YOU are a STINKER, Mayor!  :-P

Really? Thats all your gonna say???  :whip:

Silly kids, look at the first bit of legislation at this week's CPC meeting:

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/designreview/drcagenda/2009/051509/index.php

Haha, I saw that but got lazy and didn't post.

Well from what I know, the owner has secured enough grants and funds to move forward with removal of the horrific aluminum panels.  What I don't know is whether he has financing in place, or tennants to move forward with the redevelopment of the building.  The last I heard (and this was probably a year ago), plans were for a botique hotel and apartments or condos.  I can't confirm that this is still the plan.

 

A couple things for people to consider on facade restorations of this magnitude.  Though they did a fesibility study last year, and peeled back a row of panels... There is no way for anyone to know what the condition of the entire building is without taking it all off.  So basically once this skin gets peeled, this place is going to sit in that condition... for A WHILE.  Assuming restoration is feasible it will obviously take a pretty lengthy design process with a restoration architect before they would begin to proceed.  My guess, is at best they would start work of actual restoration next spring.  Keep in mind it is also feasible that they could determine during the process that it's not salvageable.  Though from what we've seen of the one section, I doubt it.

 

There are no words to describe how excited I am about the possibilities of this project.

^try a thesaurus

my feelings are unthesaurusable. :)

i really hope that this building isn't in the conditon 668 was when they peeled the old facade off.  That was an embarrasing eyesore for way too long - I'd rather have this building remain with the aluminum facade then be dealing with another ugly near-vacant building (we already have one 1 block east with plastic tarp windows now). 

 

I can be 99% sure that there is no financial plan in place for this building.  From what I know, the hotel plans are not going to move forward anytime soon if ever. 

What is its occupancy now?  Lights are always on in the place currently...well at least enough to notice.

Well judging by the photos of the test strip, there's going to be a good amount of damage, and it's going to look pretty beat up.  Even if they had financing in place for redevelopment and tennant(s) it would still have to sit exposed for a prolonged period of time while plans for restoration are made.  There is no avoiding that.  The main difference between 668 and this building... is that 668's owner wanted to sell.  They peeled the panels off to show that it was feasible for restoration and apply for tax credits, but they were shopping the building.  So it waited a while (a very long while).  The owner of schofield does not want to sell, he wants to develop the property.  If what I've heard is correct, though he may not have the development planned or financed... he has enough grants and funding to go through with this phase and the design work.  Assuming restoration is feasible he will move forward with restoration regardless, because he believes the building will be easier to market in one form or another renovated.  I tend to agree with him.

 

But again, there is no way to get around the fact it's going to be exposed and shoddy looking for a while.

i really hope that this building isn't in the condition 668 was when they peeled the old facade off.  That was an embarrasing eyesore for way too long - I'd rather have this building remain with the aluminum facade then be dealing with another ugly near-vacant building (we already have one 1 block east with plastic tarp windows now). 

 

I can be 99% sure that there is no financial plan in place for this building.  From what I know, the hotel plans are not going to move forward anytime soon if ever. 

 

I feel that was an appropriate amount of time.  You never know what is going to happen until you open up a wall.  These types of projects are delicate. 

 

The real embarrassment was covering the building in the first place!

What about the structure at the top of the building? Was that completely distroyed, or is it still part of the structure somewhere hidden away .. or maybe preserved off-site somewhere?

I'll hope for the best with this building...  peeling off that aluminum crap is like tearing the wrapping off of a present.  We can only hope we like what we see :)  I really think that the original facade of the building will bring a much more handsome look to that corner than what's there now.  I'm hopeful that not too much needs to be done to the facade to bring it back to its original glory.

 

I wonder if the boutique hotel plans are still on the table in some fashion, especially with the new MM/CC coming online in the near future.

What about the structure at the top of the building? Was that completely distroyed, or is it still part of the structure somewhere hidden away .. or maybe preserved off-site somewhere?

Completely destroyed and I'm sure rubble in a landfill somewhere.  They will have to recreate it if they would like to tap into many of the financial incentives available for a project like this.

what is the original color?  Is it what's exposed, or is that soot covered?

wow, cool news.

 

i say peel! peel! go for it!

 

 

 

I'd hate to see this building sit with half a facade for long, but the pain is necessary.  At the end of the tunnel, I see Cleveland regaining one of it's most beautiful buildings from it's past almost as if by magic.  And at a key intersection, no less.

Can we add the pillars back in front of the CVS too??

I think that the building was expanded outward on the first floor, so the pillars would be where the front of the building is now.