Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building
The Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building.
General information
Status	Complete
Type	Office
Location	1240 East Ninth Street Cleveland, OH 44199 United States
Construction started	1964
Completed	1967
Owner	U.S. Government
Management	Maureen Michael
Height
Roof	419 feet (128 m)
Top floor	32
Technical details
Floor area	577,000 sq ft (53,600 m2)
Design and construction
Architect	Multiple
Main contractor	Huber Hunt & Nichols; Frank Briscoe Co., Inc.

The Anthony J. Celebrezze Federal Building is a very tall building, also known as a skyscraper. It is located in downtown Cleveland, Ohio. This building is home to many offices for the United States government.

About the Celebrezze Federal Building

How Was It Designed?

The Celebrezze Federal Building was designed by several architecture companies. These included Outcault, Guenther, Rode & Bonebrake, Schafer, Flynn & Van Dijk, and Dalton, Dalton, Little, and Newport. The building has 32 floors and stands about 419 feet (128 m) tall. It offers a lot of space, about 1,007,000 square feet (93,600 m²), for offices. The building was finished in 1967.

A Look at Its History

This building is named after Anthony J. Celebrezze. He was the 49th mayor of Cleveland. He also served as a U.S. Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare and a federal judge. The building's style is typical of office buildings from the 1960s. It shows strength in its design.

When construction started, there were some protests. People wanted to make sure that different groups of contractors were hired. There were also some problems with the building's foundation. During construction, a piece of the building's outer skin fell off. It hit a car parked nearby. After the building was finished, a fire hose burst on the 25th floor. This caused water damage as government offices were moving in.

What Does It Look Like?

The outside of the building is covered in shiny stainless steel and glass. It sits on a base made of four parts of marble. This marble base rests on a surface of rough slate and granite. Walls of glass connect two larger sections. These glass walls create a lobby inside and open areas outside.

What Was There Before?

To build the Federal Building, some older structures had to be taken down. These included the Old Central Armory and the Cuyahoga County Morgue. The Armory building was built in 1896. It had a Victorian style with a Gothic look. The Morgue, built in 1894, showed examples of Egyptian Revival architecture.

Modern Updates

From 2003 to 2006, the building's entrances were updated. The old entrances were not very welcoming. Now, they are enclosed in glass and look more modern. This also helps with security and comfort. When the building first opened in 1967, strong winds from Lake Erie were a big problem. People sometimes had to hold onto ropes to climb the steps. During cold winters, clear plastic covers were added to block the wind.

In 2008, a new fire alarm system was put in. Leaks in the roof over the cafeteria were fixed. New plants and landscaping were also added outside. In 2011, work began on a new exterior. This new outside layer will help the building use less energy. This big project cost $121 million. The money came from a special fund called the 2009 economic stimulus package.

In 2002, the Cleveland FBI office moved out of the building. They moved to their own offices nearby. This was for safety and security reasons. For example, when the FBI arrested someone, they had to use the same elevators as other people in the building.

Today, many different government groups have offices in the Celebrezze Federal Building. These include:

• The Defense Finance and Accounting Service
• The Coast Guard Ninth District Command Center
• Recruiting offices for the Armed Forces
• The Small Business Administration
• The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
• The Social Security Administration