Economy and Business
Monday, October 21, 2013
Cleveland Horseshoe Casino adds skywalk to historic Higbee building
Plain Dealer Architecture Critic Steve Litt likened the skywalk to "poking the Mona Lisa in the nose with a straw," but the frame is up and the 175-foot walkway should be finished next spring
by WKSU's KABIR BHATIA |
Reporter
Kabir Bhatia | | |
 | | After closing the intersection on Friday afternoon, crews worked all weekend to hoist the Horseshoe Cleveland's 16.5 ft. walkway over the Ontario Street and Prospect Avenue intersection in downtown Cleveland. The intersection is expected to open by 6 a.m. today | | Courtesy of Horseshoe Casino |
The intersection of Ontario Street and Prospect Avenue in downtown Cleveland will look a little different starting this morning. Over the weekend, construction crews installed a steel frame above the intersection for a skywalk connecting Horseshoe Casino to its parking garage.
The casino is in the Higbee building, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. Casino owner Rock Ohio Caesars had wanted to add the walkway and keep historic tax credits, but the government said no. So the company bought the Higbee building for $79 million. The casino says that the walkway shields gamblers from the cold, while opponents said it kills street-level retail. Rock Ohio still has street-level entrances open, as well as an entrance from Tower City, just off Public Square.
The $7 million skywalk is slated for completion in early 2014.
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