Eaton Center (Cleveland)

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Eaton Center.

The Eaton Center is a skyscraper in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. The building has 28 stories and rises to a height of 356 ft (109 m). The structure, was one of the structures that expanded Cleveland's central business district eastward in the early-1980s building boom in the city.

The decision for Eaton Center started in 1978, when St. John's College, which at the time was owned by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Cleveland experienced a downturn in enrollment. St. John's Collge built a dormitory in 1964, but this did not help, the dormitory became offices for the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. In 2007, this complex was demolished for parking for the Avenue Apartments. With St. John's college merging with Ursuline College in 1978, the St. John's College building went vacant.

Bishop James Hickey reading and hearing Cleveland's corporate community needing space offered the St. John's College land to any developer who would develop it into office space. This deal had one little problem, in October 1980 as papers were signed Pope John Paul II appointed Bishop James Hickey as Archbishop of Washington, DC, so Hickey's successor Bishop Anthony Pilla went with deal. The deal was this, St. John's College would be demolished, but the land would be owned by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. The proceeds of the land lease would be used by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland for seminaries and educational ministries. The developer was the Oliver Tyrone Corporation.

The Oliver Tyrone Corporation studied St. Peter's Evangelical Lutheran Church, in New York City has a similar arrangement with Citigroup when its famed Citigroup Center tower was built in 1977.

Demolition of the St. John's College began in January 1981, due to the installation of Bishop Anthony Pilla. There was mass of deconsecration of the St. John's College building. After the mass, the demolition would begin. By February 1981, plans were shown for the Superior Square Center, this was the construction name for the Eaton Center while it was being built. Turner Construction was announced as the general contractor of the Superior Square building.

July 1981, concrete forms and cranes were now present at the site. Superior Square became Cleveland's second tallest building built with concrete, the first tallest building is the National City Center 1978-80. Superior Square became Cleveland's tallest glass skinned building. The shape of Superior Square is octogonal in shape. One section is twenty-five stories and another rises twenty-eight stories.

In 1983, Superior Square opened for business, but in July 1983, Cleveland Based Eaton Corporation needing space moved from Erieview Tower to Superior Square. The Superior Square Tower was renamed Eaton Center in 1983.

In 2008, Eaton Corporation needing space might leave Eaton Tower for a new proposed office development near the Port Authority docks, since the Port Authority of Cleveland Cuyahoga County will relocate the docks to a newer site. Eaton might keep some corporate at the Eaton Tower.