HISTORIC ROTUNDA BUILDING IN DOWNTOWN CLEVELAND, AT THE CORNER OF EUCLID AVENUE AND EAST 9TH STREET, TO HOUSE HEINEN’S FINE FOOD STORE!

BLENDING OF GRAND ARCHITECTURE AND GOURMET FOODS!

ROTUNDA BUILDING: The over 100-year old historic Rotunda building which first belonged to Cleveland Trust and was later taken over by Ameritrust, was built in 1905. The building has a stained glsss dome and majestic interiors.

CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITY: East 9th Street between Euclid and Prospect Avenues is abuzz with construction activity that will cost $250 million and will include renovation (re-purposing) and new construction. Geis Companies is the developer.

AMERITRUST TOWER: Designed by Marcel Breuer – the famed Bauhaus architect, with precast concrete panels in the facade, the 29-story tower was built in 1971.

Geis Cos. purchased the tower from the county – at a considerable loss to the county. Initially, two of the three county commissioners (including Jimmy Dimora) wanted the tower demolished. Transactions about possible bribery in the tower’s sale figured in Mr. Dimora’s corruption trial.

The tower will house a 156-room hotel and 105 luxury apartments with rents starting at $1,600. In addition, the tower will have fancy restaurants, a theater, a fitness center, a rooftop sun deck, and also an indoor dog park. The hotel and apartments are scheduled to open in Fall, 2014.

Jimmy Dimora, convicted County Commissioner, wanted the famed tower demolished. Transactions about possible bribery in the tower’s sale figured in the corruption trial.

SWETLAND BUILDING: Located on Euclid Avenue, east of the Rotunda, this 13-story building will include subsidized apartments for the hotel staff.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUILDING:
Located at the corner of Prospect Avenue and East 9th Street, the structure is being built by Geis Companies at a cost of $75.5 million (in addition to the $250 million) with a scheduled occupancy of July 15, 2014. The county will rent the building from Geis for 20 years with an option to buy it at the end of the lease period for one dollar.

The county has already vacated the previous headquarters at the corner of Lakeside Avenue and Ontario Street and temporarily moved to seven county-owned buildings in downtown.

The former county headquarters is scheduled for demolition to make way for the 600-room, $260 million, 30-story, Convention Center Hotel.

The skywalk shown in the photograph (is an earlier construction from buildings that were demolished) and will connect the county building to a parking garage.

REFERENCE LINKS:

*“Heinen's bets on two new stores in 2014 as it invests in the company's future”, The Plain Dealer, Jan. 16, 2014
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&v...

*”Ameritrust redo will include a Marriott Autograph Collection hotel and 205 apartments”, The Plain Dealer, Oct. 6, 2013
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&v...

*”Ameritrust Tower”, Wikipedia:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&v...

* The steel structure for the 8-storey County Building was topped out on November 18, 2013. Here is the link to the Youtube clip:
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&v...

*For additional references, please do a google search on the separate buildings.