Modern living doesn’t have to come at the expense of history — at least not at the Athlon.
When the Cleveland Athletic Club fell into disrepair after closing in 2008, a team of local developers — including Precision Environmental, Great Lakes Financial and Ned Weingart — rallied together to transform this Euclid Avenue landmark into 163 luxury apartments. Modern amenities and historic preservation was always the goal. But with the building ravaged by weather and neglect, their work started just in time.
“One more winter and the building could have catastrophically failed,” says Joe DiGeronimo of Precision Environmental.
During restoration, the developers discovered a number of design flourishes.
On the seventh floor, they unearthed a stained-glass skylight curiously hidden behind a drop ceiling. Elsewhere, marble walls and flooring were discovered under carpet and wood-laminate panels.
“That’s a real head scratcher,” DiGeronimo says.
The iconic blue-and-white-tiled CAC pool survived and was restored for use as a pool for residents.
Some of the renovated suites even include subtle nods to the building’s athletic past. Sandvick Architects designed multistory units to take advantage of the soaring ceilings in the former basketball and squash courts. The $66 million project, which includes retail spaces and a fitness center, opened in October.
“Our desire, as Clevelanders, [was] to make this moldy, rotting building beautiful again,” DiGeronimo says.
