AmTrust Financial Building facts for kids
Quick facts for kids AmTrust Financial Building |
|
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Status | Complete |
| Type | Office |
| Location | 800 Superior Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio United States |
| Coordinates | 41°30′6.35″N 81°41′19.22″W / 41.5017639°N 81.6886722°W |
| Opening | 1969 |
| Height | |
| Roof | 308 ft (94 m) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 23 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Charles Luckman |
| Developer | Tishman Speyer Properties |
The AmTrust Financial Building is a tall office building in Cleveland, Ohio. It's located right in the heart of Downtown Cleveland. This building stands 308 feet (about 94 meters) high and has 23 floors. It was finished in 1969.
When it was first built, it was the 5th tallest building in Cleveland. Today, it's the 18th tallest. The building has had a few different names over the years, including McDonald Investment Center, Key Center, and the Central National Bank Building. A famous architect named Charles Luckman designed it.
Contents
Building History: A Look Back
Central National Bank Era
In 1965, a big bank called Central National Bank decided to build a new main office. They wanted it to be part of a large city plan for Cleveland. Central National Bank was one of the biggest banks in Cleveland during the 1960s. They needed more space as their business grew.
Work on the new building started in 1966. First, an old apartment building was torn down. Then, in 1967, construction began on the 23-story building. It was designed by Charles Luckman's architecture firm from New York City. The Central National Bank Tower officially opened its doors in 1969.
A few years later, in 1977, some bricks fell from the building. Luckily, no one was hurt. Engineers later found a problem with a special ingredient used in the brick mortar. It took over two years to fix the brickwork. Almost 2 million bricks had to be resealed!
McDonald & Co. Investments Takes Over
In 1986, another bank bought Central National Bank. Then, in 1991, a company called McDonald & Co. Investments bought the building. They even put their "McD" logo on top of the tower.
Later, in 1998, KeyCorp bought McDonald. They added their special "skeleton key" logo to the McDonald Investments sign. The building then became known as the "McDonald Investments Center." In 2004, the company changed its name again to "McDonald Financial Group," and a new logo went on the building.
UBS and Key Center
In 2007, McDonald was sold to a company from Switzerland called UBS. Because of this, the building's name changed again to Key Center. New signs were put up at street level. UBS also opened an office inside the building. In June 2007, a cool electronic stock and news ticker was added. It shows news and business information to people walking by, just like in famous places like New York City's Times Square.
AmTrust Financial Services Era
In 2011, the building was put up for sale online. A company called AmTrust North America bought it. AmTrust is an insurance company. Even though they are based in New York, they had many offices in a Cleveland suburb.
Moving most of their Ohio offices into this building helped make the downtown area, known as the Nine-Twelve District, more lively and busy. The building is now officially called the AmTrust Financial Building.
Where is the Building?
The AmTrust Financial Building is in a very important spot in Cleveland. It's on the southwest corner of East 9th Street and Superior Avenue. These are two of the main roads in the city. East 9th Street is like the eastern edge of downtown. Superior Avenue is a big road that goes from east to west.
Who Works Here Now?
Several companies have offices in the AmTrust Financial Building today. Some of them include:
- AmTrust Financial Services
- National General Insurance
- Key Bank
- ASMGi
Who Built It?
Many companies helped build this large building. Some of the main ones were:
- Tishman Speyer Properties - They were the main developers.
- Kelley Steel Erectors
- Cantor Seinuk Group Inc. (This company also worked on the Freedom Tower in New York City)
- John W. Blatt Elevator Consulting Inc.
