Re-Energizing a Landmark The Electric Building returns as apartments in downtown Cleveland By Scott Esterly | Photos by Aerial Agents, Scott Esterly and Aaron Price
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or more than 120 years, The Electric Building has stood at 700 Prospect Avenue, part of the downtown fabric between Cleveland’s business district and its sports and entertainment core. The nine-story building long occupied a prominent location in the city center, even as its original identity became less visible. That has changed with a newly completed adaptive reuse and historic rehabilitation led by K&D Group. The $40 million, 124,170-square-foot project has converted the former office building into 120 apartments with new residential amenities, modern building systems and ground-floor retail space, while restoring important pieces of the neoclassical building’s historic character.
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Photo by Aerial Agents
A brief history
Completed in 1900, The Electric Building was originally developed for office use. Its early history was tied closely to the telephone and telegraph industry, with its primary tenants housing the switches, equipment and infrastructure needed for those communication systems. That early use helped give rise to The Electric Building’s name. Over time, the building became more conventional office space. It most recently served as the headquarters for United Church, which occupied the entire building beginning in the 1980s. By the time K&D acquired the property, the building was vacant. Decades of interior renovations had removed much of the original historic fabric, but the exterior remained in good con- RESIDENTIAL REVIVAL The Electric Building’s transformation blends historic rehabilitation dition, and several important interior with modern residential design, preserving a downtown landmark while adapting former elements were still intact or waiting to office floors into a mix of studios, one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments. be uncovered. Brownfield funding from the state Group. “The column layout was great. Team + timeline supported demolition and abatement, It’s a perfect rectangle. It just worked K&D Group led the project as owner allowing the building to be taken down really well.” and developer, Cleveland Construction to a shell before construction began. The building’s floor plate shape and served as general contractor and Berardi Demolition started in late 2023, and efficient column layout created a clear + Partners served as architect and his- the first residents began moving in early framework for apartment layouts. Its size toric consultant. February 2026. The building was fully also worked in its favor because The The team began studying the building turned over in April. Electric Building was more manageable even before K&D officially acquired it in than some of K&D’s larger downtown 2022, working through capacity studies, Residential conversion conversions. Naturally, it was still comcode requirements, historic review con“The building just lent itself really plex enough to require careful planning. siderations and major planning issues well to residential conversion,” says The location itself strengthened the such as stairs and elevators. Doug Price IV, vice president of K&D case for residential conversion, placing