National City Center

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This article is about the building in Cleveland. For the identically named skyscraper in Troy, Michigan, see Top of Troy

National City Center is a skyscraper located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio at the northwest corner of Euclid Avenue and East 9th Street. The building has 35 stories and rises to a height of 410 ft (125 m), and was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. Construction on the building was finished in 1980. It serves as the headquarters for the National City Corporation.

In 1975, National City Bank had many of its office functions scattered in Downtown Cleveland. National City almost had moved from Downtown Cleveland to a suburban location but stayed in Downtown Cleveland.

In 1977, National City announced plans for a new corporate headquarters in Downtown Cleveland. The cost was set at $50,000,000. There was a new form of financing used in its construction. The financing was called tax abatement. Tax Abatement started in New York City under then Mayor Abraham Beame to spur growth in New York City after its own default in 1975. Tax Abatement is used to cut property taxes to develop a property. In 1976, then Cleveland Mayor Ralph Perk brought NYC's idea to Cleveland. In 1977, National City Bank became the first Cleveland company and project to use tax abatement.

The site of National City was a complex one. The site had the old Bond Clothing Store complex (1947-49) and before that was the Hickox Building 1874-1947. There was a seedy adult movie house that showed X-rated movies named the Roxy. These buildings were demolished in 1978 and construction began for the tower.

The National City Bank Tower rises from a seven foot pad of concrete. The tower itself was not built with steel, instead it became Cleveland's tallest reinforced concrete structure. A floor was poured and jacked up 1 floor a week. The skin of the National City Bank Tower is a White Travertine Marble. During the day, National City Bank is whitish in color. At night, National City is bathed in light. During October though, it is bathed in pink light for National Breast Cancer month which National City Bank sponsors research in.

When the Tower opened in 1980, National City occupied the tower as its own. There are a few other firms in National City Center. KPMG Accounting Firm has its Cleveland Operations here. Baker Hostetler Law Firm and numerous other Law Firms are based here too.

A kinetic sculpture by George Rickey named Triple L Excentric Gyratory III sits outside the building.

[edit] See also

• List of tallest buildings in Cleveland

[edit] External links

• ClevelandSkyscrapers.com
• Triple L Excentric Gyratory III at the Sculpture Center
• Toman James, Cleveland's Changing Skyline Cleveland Landmark Press 1984, Cleveland