I walked by yesterday and I too was surprised that it was intact as it is. There are definitely some rough areas ... 3 to 4 windows down on the eastern-most part of the Euclid side looked like a real mess, but generally, I think 668 was at least as bad, if not worse. I'm really curious to see how the condition of the corner section ... I don't know why, but my intuition tells me that if there are going to be problems, it's probably going to be in that strip. But loving it so far ...

Wow, from those pictures it doesnt look as bad as i thought it would have (and from the comment i posted earlier this week). The first few pieces they took off last week looks to have revealed the worst of the building.

The columns are a very pleasant surprise! I'd seen pictures of the building pre-modernization, but I don't remember seeing the columns.

 

I'll never understand why the building needed to be covered over.

"I'll never understand why the building needed to be covered over."

 

At the time, buildings with that kind of ornamentation were seen as "fussy" and not ideal as the (then) Modern buildings being constructed (Tower at Erieview, 1717 East 9th, etc.). That and it's possible the facade may have had some issues - most buildings of its era did (i.e. small pieces falling off).

Yep. And I'll still never understand it.

^Ya see!  This is the exact same arguement as to why the Breuer Tower should not be torn down because untrained politicians/citizens deem something as "ugly"  (thankfully it hasn't, to this point at least).  Tastes change, and adapting to the flavor of the general public through the years is a study in futility.

agreed.

^Ya see!  This is the exact same arguement as to why the Breuer Tower should not be torn down because untrained politicians/citizens deem something as "ugly"  (thankfully it hasn't, to this point at least).  Tastes change, and adapting to the flavor of the general public through the years is a study in futility.

 

Very well said.

I just hope that in another 40 years people aren't putting the paneling back up and undoing all the restoration.  Hopefully tastes won't change THAT much! :-)

welcome to urban ohio redjess

thanks!  I'm working on the renovation at Schofield so it's cool to see all of you guys so interested in it!

thanks!  I'm working on the renovation at Schofield so it's cool to see all of you guys so interested in it!

 

Welcome!!  Any "insider" details about the restoration you can share?

Actually what you've read in the paper and already posted on the site is pretty much what's going on.  You all saw the initial photos of the panel removal last year (January 2008) and based on what we saw there, we're happy to see that as the rest of the panels come off, it's what we were expecting - no big surprises (yet)!  Just like all of you, I can't wait to see the entire building uncovered!

So how long do you guys anticipate the design phase of the restoration work taking?

Yes indeed - welcome to the forum! If you (or anyone working on the project) can use any of the following photos of the building, let me know - I can also provide them in high-res format:

 

 

 

You were all over the place today, MayDay!  I can't wait for that cornice to be revealed.

Excellent photos Mayday! It's great to see this building coming along!

MayDay

 

Thank you for the amazing photos. I live in Los Angeles so I very much wait to see what is unveiled through your photographs.

This doesn't look as bad as I thought it would...at least in the photo. So the building is actually red brick?

^Yep, covered in soot.

Even in its current condition the original looks better than that hideous 60’s facade.

I am just thankful that this was just covered up... and not the alternative that happened to so many other Cleveland buildings. That will look amazing when it's done.

 

:clap: Thanks MayDay for the Pictures :clap:

harumph.  I head over and take all kinds of pictures at lunch yesterday to share can't make it to post until this afternoon, and mayday swoops in with his fancy camera.  jerk.  :lol:

 

Well here's a couple different ones he didn't have...

 

1.  The east elevation where they haven't yet started taking down the metal "skeleton".

2.  One of the most heavily damaged areas, where the main entry used to be.  You can get a pretty good look at what was there in the line drawing that is posted in the first page or two of the thread.

This is the kind of building Harold Lloyd climbs! Any word on whether the little clock dome would be duplicated on top? I just learned that the bank building on 25th and Detroit (Masimos) had one of those on top of it at one time as well.

^Don't feel bad... I took pics on Monday and haven't put them on my computer yet!

McCleveland  as well thanks for the amazing photos. 

love my hometown.  BTW any more pics/status on the Euclid facade of 668 Euclid Ave?

McCleveland as well thanks for the amazing photos.

love my hometown.   BTW any more pics/status on the Euclid facade of 668 Euclid Ave?

 

Check the 668 thread

Wow. They are really attacking this building. Cant wait till they get that crap off of the top level. Thanks for the update MD.

Thanks for the updated photos.  Seeing the damage that was done makes me want to go back to the 60's and bizitch slap the person(s) who thought that was a good idea.

Thanks for the updated photos.  Seeing the damage that was done makes me want to go back to the 60's and bizitch slap the person(s) who thought that was a good idea.

 

:mrgreen:

 

 

Wow. They are really attacking this building. Cant wait till they get that crap off of the top level. Thanks for the update MD.

 

I have a bad feeling that we are all going to be very disappointed with the condition of the cornice.

Just let 'er rip off, regardless!

'Can't wait to see how that relatively narrow but tall strip facing the City Club Building turns out, too.

When the real cleaning goes on it will sure sure embarrass the City Club fok next door. 

So it's "Schofield Building" but the prominent local architect was Levi "Scofield?"

Is the building definitely to supposed to revert to the "Schofield" name or does that all depend on the main tenant (i.e. a proposed hotel, etc.)?  Is it "officially" the "Schofield Building" again?  "Euclid-Ninth" still?

Who again was it named for originally?  I know all this is easy to look up but it's so much more efficient when someone just answers here.... (hehe) :-P

Levi Tucker Schofield was born in Cleveland and was raised in a home on Euclid Avenue near East 9th Street. His family

later operated the Prospect Place Hotel on the site after which it became the location of the Scofield Building, which he

designed. Levi Scofield attended Cleveland public schools, pursuing the study of architecture and engineering. At some

point, he dropped the "H" from his name...

 

http://planning.city.cleveland.oh.us/landmark/arch/pdf/archdetailPrint.php?afil=&archID=217

 

Schofield family vault at Lakeview Cemetery (with the "h")

Also, according to the book "Cleveland Landmarks," before the 14 story building was constructed 1902, a hotel nicknamed "Mrs. Schofield's Boarding House," was at the SW corner of E9th and Euclid and was razed for the tower.

I walk past this building every day.  A funny thing to note about the 1960's - 1970's remodel and veneer.  It looks like when they put up the aluminum panels that they reduced the window sizes by several feet.  You can see where they framed in the around the old brick windows to have a smaller size window that matched up to the aluminum panels.  Who would want that?

 

It also looks like the ground floor storefronts had high ceilings and large glass window fronts at one time.  This was obscured by the large brown panels on the ground floor level.

 

I agree with another poster that even with the old neglected beatup brick - the building looks better and more intriguing than that brown/yellow veneer.  This building may turn out to be a jewel on Euclid Ave.

greyrat, yeah the 70's were funny like that.  I think just about every old school did the same thing with the windows.  They would take big lovely windows and cut them down to 1 small window and surround it by panels.  I believe this was for energy conservation..... Also with the drop ceilings.

 

The ills of the 60's and 70's.  Shame. 

greyrat welcome to the forum :)

 

 

on an added note I noticed today while walking by that they have done a couple test cleaning spots on the North side of the building.  If it isn't raining tomorrow I'll try to grab a couple pics...

Does anybody have a clue to what hotel might be going in?

Does anybody have a clue to what hotel might be going in?

 

I don't think anyone knows IF a hotel will be going in.  But that does seem to make some sense as a re-use for this building.  Perhaps the same hotel that wanted to go into the Ameritrust Tower across the street?  Wasn't it Hotel Indigo?

^ Yes, and I like the idea of it in this building even better.

Does anybody have a clue to what hotel might be going in?

 

Yes, and I can tell you that, in my mind, it's a lot better choice the Hotel Indigo (which always seemed a lil hooky to me).

 

I don't think anyone knows IF a hotel will be going in.  But that does seem to make some sense as a re-use for this building.  Perhaps the same hotel that wanted to go into the Ameritrust Tower across the street?  Wasn't it Hotel Indigo?

 

Well for what it's worth, a memorandum of understanding HAS been signed with an operator.  That doesn't mean there's anything set in stone, but that's a pretty darn good first step.

 

EDIT: Meant to say letter of intent, not memorandum of understanding.

Does anybody have a clue to what hotel might be going in?

 

Yes, and I can tell you that, in my mind, it's a lot better choice the Hotel Indigo (which always seemed a lil hooky to me).

 

I don't think anyone knows IF a hotel will be going in.  But that does seem to make some sense as a re-use for this building.  Perhaps the same hotel that wanted to go into the Ameritrust Tower across the street?  Wasn't it Hotel Indigo?

 

Well for what it's worth, a memorandum of understanding HAS been signed with an operator.  That doesn't mean there's anything set in stone, but that's a pretty darn good first step.

 

And the hotel is??  You can't just blurt that out and not give details. 

 

Hotel indigo's are a holiday Inn brand.  It's their "boutique" brand.  With some work they could be decent.  Just not for me.

Does anybody have a clue to what hotel might be going in?

 

Yes, and I can tell you that, in my mind, it's a lot better choice the Hotel Indigo (which always seemed a lil hooky to me).

 

I don't think anyone knows IF a hotel will be going in.  But that does seem to make some sense as a re-use for this building.  Perhaps the same hotel that wanted to go into the Ameritrust Tower across the street?  Wasn't it Hotel Indigo?

 

Well for what it's worth, a memorandum of understanding HAS been signed with an operator.  That doesn't mean there's anything set in stone, but that's a pretty darn good first step.

 

And the hotel is??  You can't just blurt that out and not give details. 

 

Hotel indigo's are a holiday Inn brand.  It's their "boutique" brand.  With some work they could be decent.  Just not for me.

 

I'm afraid I can't say.  It's not something I'm really supposed to know in the first place, and while I don't know if it's intended to be a secret or not, I'd rather let the developer make an official announcement.  He's kept things pretty close to his chest thus far which, in light of what's happened with FEB, Ameritrust, Pesht, etc, is in a way refreshing. 

 

All signs seem to point that this project will continue to progress (none of the damage they've uncovered thus far seems to be anything they hadn't anticipated) so I'm sure we'll be hearing more, official news about this in the near future.

Yes it will be better than an Indigo (which was not the right fit for the Ameritrust building), I don't officially know the name, but boutiquey in nature... and my sources were pretty adamant about it possibly being damaging if it was made public prematurely. 

That said, I'd like to remind everyone that while everyone on UrbanOhio loves to get detailed information about new developments, that does not mean that information/renderings should be distributed here before such distribution is approved by the parties directly involved. Carry on :-)

That said, I'd like to remind everyone that while everyone on UrbanOhio loves to get detailed information about new developments, that does not mean that information/renderings should be distributed here before such distribution is approved by the parties directly involved. Carry on :-)

 

Of course.  I, for one, don't want to get anyone in trouble, breach any contracts or confidentiality agreements or have a forumer risk termination. 

 

I only made that comment because I'm nosey, we love pictures and inside information and you know we don't like to be teased here. :wink:

 

 

Here's a shot showing the test cleaning area they did on the building...

Nice! Now imagine that entire corner with such a vibrant shade of red :-)

Wow! How nice that would look! Does anyone know yet...if plans would include restructuring the little dome bell tower on the top? It is not there anymore.

 

I also wonder...if at the time, anyone was opposed to covering this building up with this material. It seems that in many cities this was the trend. If you remember the old Walt Disney movie "Sammy" (about the seal).... you would remember a scene where Sammy escaped in an office building.... where the mayor and other town shakers were promoting to 'modernize' the town...and there was a model showing before and after. It was all about the time this era started covering these buildings with modern looking siding. Wow. I am sure that industry made a lot at that time.

 

I also have no doubt this will be one of the most handsome buildings downtown when finished.

Wow! How nice that would look! Does anyone know yet...if plans would include restructuring the little dome bell tower on the top? It is not there anymore.

 

Yes it will.