Church demolition begins in Cleveland

The church, built in the 1920s, has been empty since 1990 and is owned by the city of Cleveland, the report says. Plans for the site include retail, including a Lucky's Market grocery store, and luxury townhouses, but development agreements and land deals with developers still need to be finalized.
 

Andrew Brickman, townhouse developer, originally proposed to incorporate stone saved from the church in 11 homes and planned to incorporate the building's main entrance as a freestanding arch in a small park, but saving the parts would be too expensive for the city, the report says. He now needs to present revised plans and win approval from the Cleveland Landmarks Comisssion.

 

In an April Landmarks Commission meeting, it was reported that full deconstruction of the building might have cost $875,000 to $2 million—the price didn't include the amount for taking apart, moving and reassembling the main entrance (a minimum of $400,000). The city's budget for the church is around $260,000, the report says.

 

According to the report, the city spent $20,000 for a salvage analysis. The analysis showed that salvaging parts of the church is possible, but expensive. Out of the city's $242,000 demolition contract, $60,000 would be considered reconstruction—that includes stripping off more than 150 red-tinged clay roof tiles, some of which will be used to decorate a wall between the retail parking lot and the townhouses.

 

The city also gathered funds to remove a lantern from the top of the church's dome to be incorporated into the corner green space, the report says. A pair of columns from the reading room and two decorative scrolls at the base of the church's front steps will be stored in a warehouse.
 

The city is expected to gain $233,000 from land sales.