BUSINESS UP FRONT, GARDENS IN THE BACK...
Located along the city’s main street, Euclid Avenue, this vintage 1920s building is recognized for its ornate white terra cotta façade. Historically used for shops and businesses, the demand for these uses diminished over decades and the property was subsequently vacated. The recent completion of a bus rapid transit line has rejuvenated the neighborhood and the need for new residential and retail uses.
A restored façade along with new storefronts reactivate the building along Euclid Avenue. The upper five floors of the building were reimagined as an urban oasis for new residents. Apartments are arranged around the remaining historic lobby, grand staircase, and marble corridors. On the back of the building, terraced rooftops are activated with private balconies overlooking a lower roof garden and an upper common space with sundeck and green roof. Open living spaces in each apartment have views of Euclid Avenue or of the roof gardens. Modern interior finishes are paired with the reinstatement of original molding profiles. Tall transom windows above interior doors promote borrowed light between rooms. New vehicular ramps accessible from the service alley connect three levels of indoor parking for residents. The property was renamed The Ivory referencing its distinct white façade and providing a new identity for its mixed-use program.
Beyond the environmental benefits of adaptive reuse, the project met or exceeded criteria in the City of Cleveland Green Building Standard (based on Enterprise Green Communities guidelines). State and Federal Historic Tax Credits were applied to this project requiring compliance with the criteria of rehabilitating historic buildings by the National Park Service.
LOCATION: CLEVELAND, OH
SIZE: 76,450 SF, 29 APARTMENTS
STATUS: COMPLETED 2015
AWARD: 2015 DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT AWARD
