| The Terminal Tower | |
|---|---|
The Terminal Tower complex in 1987 |
|
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office |
| Location | Cleveland, Ohio |
| Coordinates | |
| Construction started | 1926 |
| Estimated completion | 1928 |
| Opening | June 28, 1930 ( officially ) |
| Cost | $179 million |
| Height | |
| Roof | 708 feet (216 m) |
| Top floor | 52 |
| Technical details | |
| Floor area | 577,000 square feet (53,600 m2) |
| Design and construction | |
| Owner | Forest City Enterprises |
| Architect | Graham, Anderson, Probst & White |
| Developer | Van Sweringen brothers |
| Structural engineer | Henry Jouett |
The Terminal Tower is a landmark skyscraper located on Public Square in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. It was built during the skyscraper boom of the 1920s and 1930s, and was the second-tallest building in the world when it was completed.[1] The Terminal Tower stood as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City from its completion in 1930 until 1964. It is part of the Tower City Center mixed-use development, and its major tenants include Forest City Enterprises (corporate headquarters and current building owner) and Riverside Company.[2]
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Built for $179 million ($2.5 billion in 2010 dollars) by the Van Sweringen brothers, the tower was to serve as an office building atop the city's new rail station, the Cleveland Union Terminal. Originally planned to be 14 stories, the structure was expanded to 52 floors with a height of 708 feet (216 m) and rests on 280-foot (85 m) caissons. Designed by the firm of Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, the tower was modeled after the Beaux-Arts New York Municipal Building by McKim, Mead, and White. The Terminal Tower opened in 1928, two years before the entire Union Terminal complex was complete, and would remain the tallest building in the world outside of New York City until the completion of the main building of Moscow State University in Moscow in 1953. The Terminal Tower would continue as the tallest building in North America outside of New York City until the Prudential Center in Boston, Massachusetts was completed in 1964. The building's height allowed radio station WHK to place antennas on the building to increase range of the 1420 kHz signal.
In the 1980s, a plan to build a taller building than the Terminal Tower was put forward, but was rejected by city officials who wanted to keep the Terminal Tower as the city's tallest building. The building, the BP Building, was scaled down, and the Terminal Tower remained the tallest building in Cleveland until the completion of Key Tower in 1991.
On a clear day, visitors on the observation deck can see 30 miles (48 km) from downtown Cleveland.[3]
On August 26, 1976, gunman Ashby Leach stormed a Chessie System conference room on the 42nd floor.[4] Leach, who was disgruntled with Chessie System's decision not to pay into a G.I Bill fund that would have increased his wages and benefits during his apprenticeship with the company, held thirteen hostages before his arrest.[4] He was subsequently jailed for three months pending trial, before being acquitted of kidnapping and convicted for assault, extortion and carrying an illegal weapon.[5] Upon his release, he embarked on a speaking tour for the group Vietnam Veterans Against the War.[4] After the hostage incident, direct access to the floor was removed. When Chessie left the building, the observation deck reopened.
Following the September 11, 2001 attacks, the observation deck was again closed to the public. In 2007, a proposal was brought to Forest City to reopen the deck. The proposal included a renovation of the deck and the addition of an express elevator to take visitors to it. This was to be done after the upper floors were renovated and the scaffolding removed.
To reach the observation deck prior to its closure, visitors had to take an elevator to the 33rd floor and transfer to another elevator to reach the 42nd floor. The observation deck was open only on weekends, to prevent disruption to the law firm that has offices on the 33rd floor.
In 2010, Forest City Enterprises finished renovating the complex's elevators, upper floors, and spire. The Observation deck reopened on July 10, 2010[6][7] for a limited period, with plans to expand public access.[8][9]
The Terminal Tower was lit when it opened in 1930. A strobe light on top of the tower rotated 360 degrees. It helped ships in Cleveland's port and airplane pilots landing at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport. In the 1960s, the strobe was retired and replaced with conventional aircraft warning lights. The tower only once went dark, during the Northeast Blackout of 2003.
The Terminal Tower is lit in a golden color at night, but for special occasions it is lit in seasonal colors (e.g., red and green during the Christmas holiday season). After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the building was lit in red, white, and blue. The colored lighting is accomplished with a Light Emitting Diode lighting system.
| Preceded by Ohio Bell Building |
Tallest Building in Cleveland 1930–1991 216 m |
Succeeded by Key Tower |
| Preceded by LeVeque Tower |
Tallest Building in Ohio 1930–1991 216 m |
Succeeded by Key Tower |
| Preceded by Chicago Temple Building |
Tallest building in the United States outside of New York City 1930–1964 216 m |
Succeeded by Prudential Tower |