"Cuyahoga County Commissioners to Determine Fate of Breuer Tower"

Big news coming up this week regarding the fate of the Marcel Breuer tower by the Cuyahoga County Commissioners.
(Photo of the Breuer towers as they were suppose to be built - ClevelandSkyscapers.com)
This was posted on the Urban Ohio forum and originally from the Cleveland Chapter of the American Institute of Architects:

"AIA Cleveland Urgent - Advocacy Bulletin"

Cuyahoga County Commissioners to Determine Fate of Breuer Tower

The Cuyahoga County Commissioners will be discussing the demolition of the Marcel Breuer designed Cleveland Trust (Ameritrust) Tower at it's next meeting at 11:30 AM on Thursday, March 29, 2007 at the Board of Cuyahoga County Commissioners Chambers, 1219 Ontario Street, 4th Floor.

All AIA Cleveland Members are invited to attend the meeting and express their views on this matter.

Over the course of the last several months, AIA Cleveland's Executive Board and Committee on Historic Resources has urged the Commissioners to reconsider demolishing the Tower and has called for them to conduct a comprehensive feasibility study of adaptively reusing the Breuer Tower for the new County Administration Center.

If you cannot attend, please call or e-mail your position on this important matter directly to the Commissioners before Thursday's meeting. Their contact information is as follows:

Commissioner Jimmy Dimora
Phone (216) 443-7180
CNJCD@cuyahogacounty.us

Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones
Phone (216) 443-7182
CNPLJ@cuyahogacounty.us

Commissioner Timothy F. Hagan
Phone (216) 443-7181
CNTFH@cuyahogacounty.us

AIA Cleveland Statement

Cleveland, Ohio, January 30, 2007 - AIA Cleveland, a Chapter of the American Institute of Architects, urges The Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners to preserve and renovate the Cleveland Trust (Ameritrust) Tower.

Designed by the pioneering modernist architect Marcel Breuer in 1971, the tower's prominent location, noteworthy design and contribution to downtown Cleveland's skyline, make the building potentially eligible for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. As stewards of the built environment, it is our community's responsibility to ensure that significant examples of modern architecture like the Cleveland Trust Tower endure for future generations.

Furthermore, AIA Cleveland encourages the Commissioners to undertake a comprehensive feasibility study of adaptively reusing the Breuer Tower for the new County Administration Center. This study must thoroughly analyze the overall project development costs to the tax payers of Cuyahoga County and definitively justify the decisions made by the Commissioners. In addition, the impact of demolishing the twenty-nine story structure must be carefully considered from an economic, environmental and sustainability perspective. This study, coupled with a creative and transparent design process, will determine if and how the existing building can best meet the County's needs.

Most importantly, we urge the County to engage the community during the decision making process so that all voices are heard on this major expenditure of public resources. AIA Cleveland stands ready to provide the Cuyahoga County Board of Commissioners with assistance and counsel in this most important matter and we look forward to a constructive community dialogue on this issue.

The same person who posted this added the following information:

The topic of the Tower in this Commissioners' meeting was news to me... check out the agenda on their webpage (http://bocc.cuyahogacounty.us/) and note Item 23c where the Commissioners will vote on the abatement and demolition of the Tower contract going out to bid. From what AIA's release indicates, the Commissioners will hear statements from the public for the Tower's future.

The meeting is on Thursday at 11:30 am in the Commissioners' Chambers at the County Admin Building on Ontario and Lakeside.

Which was then followed by another member who posted the following:

The commissioners are going to design review on Thursday afternoon to ask to demolish two other buildings (I believe they are the one immediately east of the rotunda and the ungly shorter gray building on Prospect)

There is a local blog that has a plethora of information regarding what has been happening with the tower, including a copy of a flier making the rounds around town. From the Design Rag:

Taxpayers Against Breuer Tower Demolition

This tri-fold brochure from "Taxpayers Against Waste" was sent to The Design Rag and has recently been circulating around Cuyahoga County (I apologize for any difficulty in viewing):