Keith Building

Keith Building

The Keith Building
Alternative names B.F. Keith Theatre Building
General information
Type Commercial offices
Theatre
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
Location 1621 Euclid Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio
Coordinates 41°30′05″N 81°40′49″W / 41.501286°N 81.680284°W / 41.501286; -81.680284Coordinates: 41°30′05″N 81°40′49″W / 41.501286°N 81.680284°W / 41.501286; -81.680284
Completed 1922
Height
Roof 83 m (272 ft)
Technical details
Floor count 22
Design and construction
Architect Rapp & Rapp
References
[1][2][3]

The Keith Building is a skyscraper in downtown Cleveland, Ohio's Theater District. The Keith is 272 feet tall and 21 stories.[4] It is actually not the main office tower of the PlayhouseSquare Foundation, it is rather home to telecommunications companies and business accelerators. The Trust for Public Land which is interested in preserving parks and land for people has their Ohio headquarters in the Keith.[5]

At the time of its construction in 1922, it was the tallest building in Cleveland,[6] and currently stands as the 25th-tallest. It is also the tallest performing arts related building in Ohio and Cleveland. Additionally, it is the tallest building in the Theater District. Through the 1950s at least, The Keith had the largest electric sign in the world at the time of construction atop its roof, which simply announced it as the B. F. KEITH VAUDEVILLE.[7] In recent years, there has been amble talk advancing the notion of putting this multistory sign back on the building's roof.

History

Owner Edward Albee II named it in memory of B. F. Keith, his former business partner and one of the most important vaudeville theatre circuit owners in the history of American theater.[6] The Keith Building houses the Palace Theater which became the flagship for the Keith vaudeville circuit, Playhouse Square Center's second-largest theater (in seating capacity), and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978, simply as the Playhouse Square Group consortium.[8] This in part spurred the city of Cleveland to donate 3.15 million dollars in economic work grants to spear head the starting of the renovation of Playhouse Square as it is known today.[9]

In 1980, the firm of Barber & Hoffman, a consulting in engineering company began to identify several structural problems with the then over 55-year-old building and by 2000 had completed a 3 million dollar restoration of the facade and several cosmetic issues.[10] In early 2015, the K & D Group entered into an agreement to purchase the Keith for what was reported to be 6.3 million dollars in February.[11] However, unlike their other downtown properties, K&D indicated that it will remain an office building and not be converted to apartments any time in the near future. In March, it was announced that K&D did in fact purchase the building but for only 5.2 million instead of 6.3 million as reported in February 2015.[12]

Legacy in community

In 2010, the Keith Building is credited with being one of the biggest donors in Cleveland Thermal's Cleveland Food Bank annual Harvest for Hunger food drive.[13] The Palace Theater is known for presenting children's entertainment for school children in the Greater Cleveland area and for many of these children it is their first taste of professional theater.[14]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Keith Building at Emporis
  2. ↑ "Keith Building". SkyscraperPage.
  3. ↑ Keith Building at Structurae
  4. ↑ "Keith Building.". Retrieved on 2015-10-12
  5. ↑ "Cleveland". Retrieved on 2015-10-12
  6. 1 2 "Palace Theater". Cleveland Historical. Retrieved April 18, 2012.
  7. ↑ "Sensational places, historic spaces." (PDF). Retrieved on 2015-10-12
  8. ↑ "Research of NRHP.". Retrieved on 2015-10-12
  9. ↑ (2000). Playhouse Square Cleveland: An entertaining history, 1810 to the 21st century. Joseph Beth:Cincinnati.
  10. ↑ "B. F. Keith building facade restoration.". Retrieved on 2015-10-12
  11. ↑ McFee, M.J. (February 19, 2015). K&D Group set to buy Keith Building at Playhouse Square - but not for apartments. The Plain Dealer.
  12. ↑ McFee, M.J. (March 31, 2015). Keith Building sells for nearly $5.2 million to K&D Group, as office play. The Plain Dealer.
  13. ↑ "The B.F. Keith Building gives more in this year's Harvest for Hunger campaign!". Retrieved on 2015-10-12
  14. ↑ "Field trip experiences and school programs.". Retrieved on 2015-10-12

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