CLEVELAND — The Bulkley Building in Cleveland's Playhouse Square is getting a facelift.
The nine-story building — which currently houses ground floor businesses, access to theatres, and upper floor offices — will soon be home to 84 apartment units.
"Having apartments here means more residents — that means more activity, more bars, restaurants, more street life," Playhouse Square President and CEO Craig Hassall told 3News. "So it all, in aggregate, supports our ambition to make Euclid [Avenue] and Playhouse Square even more dynamic, beyond the hours of the theatres."
According to Dru Siley, vice president of development at Liberty Development Company, the group spearheading the renovations, the upper floors of the building once housed law offices.
"I think part of it is the uncertainty with the office market out of COVID, and more people working in different styles now — remotely, part time," Siley said of why residential was a fit for the space. "I think in the vibrancy of downtown, having more residents — fulltime residents — living in the downtown and in a district like Playhouse Square, just directly contributes to them being able to shop and live and spend right here in Playhouse Square."
With these renovation plans, Siley says floors four through seven will be residences. The second floor will remain the administrative offices for Playhouse Square, and the third floor will continue to house offices for Great Lakes Theater, in addition to amenities such as a kitchen, gathering and meeting spaces, and a fitness center. The top floors of the building, eight and nine, will serve as the headquarters for Dix & Eaton.
The Bulkley, which was built in the 1920s, will still maintain elements of its original charm. For example, Siley says they've found dozens of original doors during renovations, which they intend to incorporate into some apartment units. Additionally, a space that was once U.S. Sen. Robert Johns Bulkley's office will now serve as a living space in an apartment.
Hassall tells us the first floor of the building will also see new tenants, including a brasserie, bar, and gift shop. The entire project, which also includes modernization of the 1920s building like new elevators and heating and cooling systems, plus the restoration of the outer façade, will cost about $40 million, per Siley.
For Hassall, the investment is well worth it. He says the funding comes from Playhouse Square, tax credits, and donors.
"This will really help establish Cleveland as a powerhouse of new works, longer tours, more Broadway runs, better works from resident companies," he added. "I mean, the benefits and dividends are going to be fantastic down the line, for all of us."
"That's one of the things we're most excited about, is being able to play a small role in making sure it's sustainable and vibrant for its next 100 years," Siley concurred. "This kind of investment's going to make that a certainty."
The space will also support touring performers who come through Playhouse Square, according to Hassall. About 20 of the apartment units will be available to rent for performers, an alternative to staying in a short-term rental or hotel for weeks. Hassall says performers are given an allowance to find accommodations, and that prices for these units will fit within that budget.
"If you're visiting from Broadway, you can bring your family with you, you can do your washing, you can watch television, you can go to the fitness center," Hassall said. "When you're a resident here for three weeks or so, having an apartment with all these facilities at an affordable price is really, really helpful."