Chapter 20. First Thoughts on Taking Possession of an Old Empty Newspaper Building

The Library Board acted quickly. On November 11, it passed the enabling resolution for the purchase of the building and its creation as a library annex. Once again the only negative vote was cast by Stanley Klonowski. Nine days later, on November 20, Architect Charles Bacon Rowley was retained to plan the building renovation and to plan the construction of the tunnel under Eastman park to connect the annex to the Main Library Building. The Board simultaneously requested a permanent easement from the City of Cleveland along with permission to close the park during the time the tunnel would be in construction and The Plain Dealer Building was being renovated as a Library Building.

The building purchase was consummated quickly. As Business Manager, I had the pleasure of picking up the keys and the original Plain Dealer Building plans and other pertinent documents from my counterpart at The Plain Dealer’s new Quarters at East 18th and Superior Avenue in dune of 1958. With this action, the conversion of that building into a library annex became the main object of my life.

As soon as I had the keys in hand, I lost no time making my first tour of inspection of the vacated Plain Dealer Building. I was shocked! I was not prepared for what I saw. I saw a vacant building in shambles. The first and only time I had seem it was when it had been furnished and equipped, as a full functioning newspaper building. Furniture and equipment has a way of covering the flaws and defects of a building.

I checked out every part of the building from top to bottom. I made it my business to inspect every nook and cranny. I saw large and small rooms that were not only filthy but also showed evidence of poor or lack of maintenance over the years. The condition of what was formerly the City Room, the huge linotype rooms with their steel plated floors appeared cavernous and ugly, the ink and paper storage rooms showed that they had not seen much cleaning, let alone any maintenance at any time. Plaster was falling from ceilings and walls due to water seepage and roof leaks. The basement areas were damp and catacomb-like.

When I had finished my inspection and locked the doors of our newly acquired building, I walked slowly next door to my office in the Main Library Building. Walking into that beautiful building, gleaming from its cleanliness and excellent maintenance and upkeep, I shuddered as I recollected the utter neglect and disrepair that I had discovered in our recently purchased real estate.

I luckily found my way to my office on the fourth floor of the Main Library without meeting any of my associates. I say luckily because in my saddened state I am afraid I might have said something about our recent purchase that I would have regretted. I had decided that I would sequester myself in my office for at least an hour before reporting my findings and thoughts about The Plain Dealer Building to Director Lindquist.

I locked my office door and sat at my desk, head in hands, with one question running through my mind. I kept thinking how in the world will we ever be able to make that awful building into a library building?

After a while, the solitude in my office enabled me to calm down and I found myself thinking about father and what his advice might be for me about this situation. I remembered that he used to say that when one has committed oneself to undertake an assignment one is obligated to see it through to its successful completion, however those were not the words he used. He put it this way, “when one begins to dance, he must complete the dance!” As I recalled those words, I got up
from my chair and went to Mr. Lindquist’s office knowing that my report to him would be made in a positive manner.

When I met with Mr. Lindquist, my report was brief and to the point, devoid of any feelings of doubt about being able to convert The Plain Dealer Building into a suitable Library Annex. I presented a factual description of what I had seen in the empty building, and advised him that I thought that it would be wise to schedule a tour of the building for the Library Board as soon as possible. He agreed and asked me to draw up a rough plan that would show the Board what divisions and functions of the Library might be moved into the Annex and where each might be located in the building  before we scheduled a tour for them. He asked that I present it to him within the week, so that we could finalize it before presenting it to the Board at tour time. I left the director’s office that day realizing that my work was cut out for me, that I would be burning the midnight oil for many a night before this project would be finished. We managed to get the rough plans finalized. And we did manage to present them as we toured the Board through The Plain Dealer Building before the next board meeting. All members of the Board except for Mr. Klonowski joined in the tour and approved our rough plans.

The Board met on June 18, 1958 and gave authorization to advertise for bids for the general remodeling of the Annex Building as they began calling the newly acquired building. They authorized that bids be sought for general contract work, electrical, plumbing, heating and ventilating. Advertisements for book stacks, other required shelving, auditorium seating, other furniture and equipment, and contract work to construct the tunnel under the Eastman Park to Connect the Annex to the Main Library Building were to be made later.

According to state law we were required to advertise one day each week for four successive weeks in the daily newspapers. I can recall writing and rewriting those ads to make sure that no vital information was left out. The ads appeared in the July 11, 18, 25, and August 5, 1958 papers.