Turning Cleveland’s Historical Offices into Luxury Apartments
By Ryan Horvath
The Residences at Leader is April’s featured project. The Leader Building is one of Cleveland’s most historical buildings. I had the opportunity to tour a model unit as well as learn about the building’s rich history.
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THE HISTORY OF LEADER
The Leader Building has an interesting history. Ralph King built the first Leader Building in 1905. The two-story structure stood on the site of the former Trinity Episcopal Cathedral. King used the building to house the Cleveland Leader, a historic daily newspaper.
Dan Hanna purchased the Cleveland Leader and its building in 1910. Shortly thereafter, Hanna arranged for the demolition of the building. Hanna wanted something bigger and bolder than the previous building. Plus, The Cleveland Leader’s main competition, the Plain Dealer, was across the street. Hanna ordered the construction of a new 15-story, 320,000+ square feet building. The new Leader Building would be the largest building at the time in Cleveland. It would also tower over the Plain Dealer.
Hanna hired New York architect Charles A. Platt to design the new building. Platt is famous for designing many buildings in Washington D.C. and New York. One of these buildings was the Smithsonian’s Freer Art Gallery. Platt designed the new Leader Building in the Beaux-Arts style.
In 1913, the new Leader Building opened its doors. It would be home to the presses of the Cleveland Leader and Cleveland News, which Hanna had also bought. The first and top floors were for the newspapers’ staffs. Other businesses rented out the remaining twelve floors. By 1917, the Cleveland Leader would close its doors. In 1926, the Cleveland News moved out of the Leader Building. Throughout the years, the building would see changes in tenants.
In 2014, K&D Properties bought The Leader Building. They saw a need and trend for residential living in Cleveland. The Leader Building provided the perfect opportunity. In 2016, they began converting office spaces into luxury apartments. The apartments became known as the Residences at Leader. This is where Choice Cabinet comes in.
THE CHOICE DIFFERENCE
K&D Properties contacted Choice Cabinet to supply the cabinetry for the renovation. After an change in hinges and glides, K&D selected our Choice Essentials® Summit door style. Soft close hinges and glides aren’t standard on Summit. Our Multi-Unit division made the switch and K&D couldn’t be happier. By the end of the project, Choice Cabinet supplied cabinets for 224 apartments. To learn more about our Multi-Unit division,
Click on the photo to enlarge!
THE WRAP-UP
The Residences at Leader offers luxury living in a beautiful and historic building. Since you’re in downtown, you’re never far from any of the attracts that Cleveland offers. Be sure to check out the lobby of the Residences of Leader. The original marble flooring and brass elevators are still in place. I recommend checking out this piece of Cleveland’s history.
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