Cleveland City Hall

Cleveland City Hall
General information
Type Government offices
Location 601 Lakeside Avenue Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Construction started 1912
Completed 1916
Cost 3,000,000 (65.7 Million today)
Technical details
Floor count 4
Design and construction
Architect J. Milton Dyer

Cleveland City Hall was built in 1916 at 601 Lakeside Avenue in downtown Cleveland's Civic Center and is where the Cleveland City Council meets. The building was the first of its kind designed by Cleveland architect J. Milton Dyer (who also designed the CAC Building) for governmental purposes for a major U.S. city.[1] At the time of its construction, the Hall was to continue the all important city planning of Daniel Burnham's 1903 Group Plan.[2] The City Hall stands as a historic landmark that was added to the Cleveland Landmarks Commission.[3]

The rotunda in the building has been the site of numerous weddings, rallies, protests, galas, and even the grave of U.S. Representative Louis Stokes.[4]

Construction

The original design had been finalized by 1907 and features Neoclassical elements, but it would take nearly ten more years before that design would be realized.[5] By the time of its construction, Dyer had undertaken several important building commissions in the Cleveland area and was known for his ornate but refined style of architecture. The building cost $3 million in 1916 ($65.7 Million today[6]) and took nearly five years to complete with construction commencing in 1912.[7] The Hall rests on the bluff that overlooks the North Coast Harbor district that abuts Lake Erie and the ever burgeoning Port of Cleveland. The building has been widely acknowledged as one of the most beautiful and functional city halls in the country, which would account for the fact that has been declared a vital Cleveland landmark. From this perspective it could be argued that this was Dyer's most lasting commission as the building is still in use today.

The over utilized Cleveland City Council Chambers underwent major renovations in 1951 and 1977.[8] However, the outside of the building has remained largely unchanged since 1916, save for normal repairs, refittings and the usual upkeep of the superstructure. The Hall stands next to Willard Park.

Occupants

The following city agencies are in building:[9]

The city of Cleveland has numerous other agencies and departments spread throughout downtown buildings, these include, Carl B. Stokes Public Works Building which is headquarters to Cleveland Division of Water, the Tower at Erieview, Cleveland Public Powerhouse and Public Hall, among others. As with other major U.S. cities as the city expanded and diversified, the City Hall building could no longer house all of the needed departments.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Encyclopedia of Cleveland History, Retrieved on 2015-08-22
  2. ↑ Cleveland Memory Project, Retrieved on 2015-08-22
  3. ↑ Landmarks Commission Archived September 20, 2015, at the Wayback Machine., Retrieved on 2015-08-22
  4. ↑ The News Herald, Retrieved on 2015-08-22
  5. ↑ http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=CCH Cleveland City Hall Retrieved on 2015-09-11
  6. ↑ CPI Inflation Calculator, Retrieved on 2015-08-22
  7. ↑ Cleveland Historical, Retrieved on 2015-08-22
  8. ↑ http://ech.case.edu/cgi/article.pl?id=CCH Encyclopedia of Cleveland History Retrieved on 2105-08-22
  9. ↑ City of Cleveland Retrieved on 2015-08-22
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Coordinates: 41°30′18″N 81°41′38″W / 41.50500°N 81.69389°W / 41.50500; -81.69389

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