Leopardo’s 45 Erieview Plaza Wins ENR Best of the Midwest’s Project of the Year

The Bell Apartments Recognized for Excellence in Design and Construction

Leopardo is thrilled to announce that The Bell Apartments at 45 Erieview Plaza in Cleveland, Ohio, has won ENR Best of the Midwest’s Project of the Year for Residential/Hospitality. These prestigious awards celebrate excellence in building design and construction across the region. Out of 87 project submissions, only 17 earned the Best Project designation.

45 Erieview Plaza, located in downtown Cleveland, is an existing 16-story building that previously served as AT&T’s office headquarters. Built in 1983, the building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The 526,000-square-foot office to residential adaptive reuse required Leopardo to leverage work experience from similar developments, such as the award-winning transformation of an office building at 226 W Jackson in Chicago into a dual-branded hotel.

One of the most complex elements of the renovation involved the installation of a rooftop pool and spa on the 15th floor, which required installing new structural steel framing recessed into the roof deck and reinforcing columns down to basement level. The team also managed a challenging crane lift in the busy downtown Cleveland area, navigating heavy pedestrian traffic while adhering to strict safety protocols. Scope also included improving the building’s overall aesthetic appeal by restoring the entire buildings granite and glass façade.

“This award is a testament to our ability to execute highly complex adaptive reuse projects with challenging logistics,” said Mike Mastin, Senior Vice President. “We are looking forward to bringing our team’s expertise and solutions-oriented approach to the next project here in Cleveland.”

In addition to the rooftop amenities, The Bell Apartments features a state-of-the-art fitness center, ground floor retail and on-site parking. The project, designed by Sandvick Architects, is pursuing National Green Building Standard certification.

Leopardo will join other industry leaders at the in-person awards breakfast on Friday, November 15 in Chicago, where additional honors will also be presented.