Tower City Center
| Company type | Mixed-use complex |
|---|---|
| Industry | Real estate, Retail, Hospitality, Transportation |
| Founded | 1929 |
| Founder | Van Sweringen brothers |
| Headquarters | Cleveland, Ohio , United States |
Area served | Cleveland metropolitan area |
| Products | Office space, Shopping mall, Casino, Hotel, Transit station |
Tower City Center stands as a prominent mixed-use complex situated in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, precisely at Public Square. This interconnected development includes office buildings such as Terminal Tower, the Skylight Park shopping mall, Jack Cleveland Casino, Hotel Cleveland, Chase Financial Plaza, and Tower City station, which serves as the primary interchange for Cleveland's quartet of RTA Rapid Transit lines.
Originally erected in 1929 under the name Cleveland Union Terminal, this facility gained recognition on the National Register of Historic Places on March 17, 1976.
Rail terminal
The project was initiated by the Van Sweringen brothers, influential figures in railroads and real estate development. Its focal point was Cleveland Union Terminal (CUT), designed to accommodate all passenger trains entering Cleveland and inspired by New York City's iconic Grand Central Terminal.
CUT designated its northern tracks for interurban or rapid transit services, while the southern tracks were reserved for inter-city rail. The station featured two main concourses: the Traction Concourse located above the interurban lines and the Steam Concourse above the intercity tracks. The Van Sweringens envisioned a vast interurban network emanating from CUT and secured several rights-of-way to facilitate this plan.
Designed by the architectural firm Graham, Anderson, Probst & White, groundwork commenced in 1922, involving the demolition of over a thousand structures. Construction began in 1926, with structural completion achieved by 1927. At that time, it ranked as the world's second-largest excavation project following the Panama Canal. Terminal Tower opened its doors to tenants in 1928 and held the distinction of being the tallest building outside New York City until 1964. Alongside it, three Art Deco office buildings—the Medical Arts, Builders Exchange, and Midland Buildings—were finalized in 1929, collectively known as the Landmark Office Towers Complex. The 1918 Hotel Cleveland was integrated into this complex. CUT officially commenced operations in 1930.
The complex also housed retail outlets and dining establishments. Although an office tower was not part of the initial plan, eventually a 52-story Terminal Tower was constructed facing Public Square.
In 1931, the Higbee Company moved its flagship department store into a newly built structure adjoining CUT. By 1934, the U.S. Postal Service relocated its main Cleveland office to Union Terminal within a building designed by Walker and Weeks, later renamed M.K. Ferguson Plaza under ownership of Forest City Enterprises.
CUT accommodated major railroads such as the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, New York Central Railroad, and Nickel Plate Road, although initially excluding the Pennsylvania Railroad and Erie Railroad. Significant trains operating through CUT included:
- Baltimore and Ohio Railroad:
- Cleveland Night Express (route: Cleveland–Pittsburgh–Baltimore)
- Washingtonian (route: Cleveland–Pittsburgh–Baltimore)
- Erie Railroad with Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad:
- Steel King (route: Cleveland–Pittsburgh)
- New York Central Railroad:
- Chicagoan (route: Chicago–New York)
- Cincinnati Mercury (route: Cincinnati–Cleveland)
- Empire State Express (route: Cleveland–New York)
- Additional trains such as Iroquois, North Star, Ohio State Limited, Pacemaker, and Southwestern Limited
- Nickel Plate Road (Norfolk and Western):
- Nickel Plate Limited (Chicago–Buffalo), later rebranded westbound as City of Chicago and eastbound as City of Cleveland
- Blue Arrow/Blue Dart (route: Cleveland–St. Louis)
Nevertheless, certain railroads found CUT unfavorable due to its requirement that trains divert from more direct routes along Lake Erie and switch from steam to electric locomotives near downtown. This led some lines to bypass CUT or discontinue city service altogether. The Erie Railroad maintained its own station until diesel locomotives permitted CUT access in 1948.
By 1965, both B&O and Norfolk and Western had terminated their passenger train services to Cleveland; by 1967, New York Central had ceased all named train operations through the city. Remaining services consisted mainly of unnamed successors to previous named routes.
Before Amtrak's establishment, Erie Lackawanna operated an unnamed train to Youngstown in 1970. Penn Central continued running unnamed remnants of former express trains serving CUT.
Amtrak briefly provided service at CUT with a short-lived Lake Shore train in 1971 but withdrew due to high rental costs amid declining passenger numbers. When Amtrak reinstated the Lake Shore Limited in 1975, it constructed a new station near Lake Erie at Cleveland Lakefront Station adjacent to the former Pennsylvania Railroad depot. Erie Lackawanna commuter operations ended in January 1977, marking the conclusion of CUT’s function as a railroad terminal.
Shopping mall
During the extensive renovation in the late 1980s, most of the platform area was removed. Forest City Enterprises transformed the station space into a three-level shopping mall and food court called The Avenue, encompassing 367,000 square feet, which officially opened on March 26, 1990. The rapid transit station was reconstructed by RTA underneath the mall, while the leftover platform area was repurposed as parking for the facility. Upon its relaunch as Tower City Center, the mall hosted upscale brands including Bally, Barneys New York, Fendi, Gucci, and Versace. In 1992, Neiman Marcus expressed intent to open a 120,000-square-foot anchor store. Over the next two and a half decades, many luxury boutiques gave way to smaller, regional retailers.
In 1991, two additional office towers were introduced: the 11-story Skylight Office Tower and the Chase Financial Plaza. The Chase Building became home to Cleveland’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel, while the Skylight Office Tower once housed the Hard Rock Cafe. Following completion of the nearby Gateway project in 1994, RTA constructed an indoor pedestrian connection between Tower City and the complex; a second walkway was later added in 2002 to link Tower City with the Carl B. Stokes U.S. Courthouse.
The Higbee’s department store, later acquired by Dillard's, ceased operations in January 2002. By 2007, Positively Cleveland (previously known as the Greater Cleveland Convention and Visitors Bureau) along with the Greater Cleveland Partnership established offices within the Higbee Building. The building’s first floor served as the Cleveland Plus Visitors Center until late 2010. It reopened on May 14, 2012, as the Horseshoe Casino Cleveland. After management transitioned to Rock Gaming LLC, it was rebranded in May 2016 as Jack Cleveland Casino.
The Time Warner Cable Amphitheater debuted in 2001 as an outdoor venue near Tower City along the Cuyahoga River. Although there were discussions about constructing a new convention center at this location, Cuyahoga County Commissioners opted in 2009 to renovate the existing Public Auditorium instead.
In July 2021, Bedrock—owned by entrepreneur Dan Gilbert—unveiled plans to revamp the mall into a "retail marketplace" blending shopping with entertainment experiences. Renovations completed in 2022 included renaming the primary atrium to "Skylight Park."
Former Cleveland Transit System station
The Red Line succeeded a never-finished interurban route, featuring an additional vault at Mayfield Road, currently known as the Little Italy–University Circle station.
History
For a quarter-century, Shaker rapid transit was the sole service operating on this segment of the CUT interurban line. In 1955, the Cleveland Transit System introduced its rapid transit system (later designated as the Red Line), utilizing much of the right-of-way originally developed by Van Sweringen and adding a station within what had been interurban territory. Since CTS Rapid Transit (Red Line) and Shaker rapid transit (Green and Blue Lines) were owned independently, no fare integration existed and their stations remained separate.
In 1968, CTS extended service to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, making Cleveland the first city in North America to offer direct rapid transit between downtown and its airport.
Both transit lines were consolidated under the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority on September 5, 1975. Despite this merger, their stations remained separate until December 17, 1990, when a unified station opened alongside Tower City Center’s development.
Former Shaker Rapid station
These platforms were inaugurated in 1930, coinciding with the extension of the Cleveland Interurban Railroad beyond East 34th Street and Broadway.
History
Upon completion on July 20, 1930, the interurban segment of the Cleveland Union Terminal (CUT) was immediately utilized by Shaker Heights trains, as the Cleveland Interurban Railroad—owned by the Van Sweringen brothers—already served that area. Prior to this extension, Shaker trains operated on streetcar tracks starting at East 34th Street, which resulted in slower transit times. The Shaker rapid transit stop was situated along the northernmost set of tracks and included a modest yard along with a loop designed for turning trains around. Expansion plans for other interurban lines were halted due to the economic downturn caused by the Great Depression, which heavily affected the Van Sweringen interests. By 1944, control of the Shaker rapid transit system had shifted to the municipal government of Shaker Heights.
When the Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority took over operations on September 5, 1975, both the Shaker and Van Aken lines were incorporated into its network. These two stations continued to function independently until December 17, 1990, when a consolidated station was established as part of the Tower City Center development.
The platform saw temporary reactivation for westbound travelers during select years: 2016, 2017, 2020, 2024, and 2025.
See also
- Public Square
- List of Registered Historic Places in Cleveland, Ohio
- List of historical passenger rail services in Cleveland
Connected components of Tower City Center
- Tower City station
- Chase Financial Plaza
- Jack Cleveland Casino
- Hotel Cleveland
- Skylight Office Tower
- Terminal Tower