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{{Short description|Skyscraper in Cleveland, Ohio}}
{{about|Key Tower in Cleveland, Ohio|the Seattle building known as Key Tower from 1994 to 2004|Seattle Municipal Tower|the Seattle building known as Key Tower from 1987 to 1994|1000 Second Avenue}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox building
|name = Key Tower
|logo = Key Tower logo.png
|logo_size = 205
|image = File:Key Tower 2022.png
|image_size = 250
|caption = Key Tower in 2022
|highest_prev = [[Terminal Tower]]
|highest_start = 1991
|highest_region = Ohio
|location = 127 [[Public Square, Cleveland|Public Square]]<br>[[Cleveland, Ohio]]
|coordinates = {{coord|41|30|04|N|81|41|37|W|region:US-OH_source:dewiki|display=inline,title}}
|status = Complete
|start_date = October 17, 1988
|completion_date = 1991
|opening = January 1992
|building_type = Office
|architectural = {{convert|947|ft|m}}<ref name=skyscraperCenter>{{cite web |url=http://skyscrapercenter.com/cleveland/key-tower/ |title=Key Tower - The Skyscraper Center |work=Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat |access-date=2012-05-03 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130627092322/http://skyscrapercenter.com/cleveland/key-tower/ |archive-date=2013-06-27 |url-status=dead }}</ref>
|roof = {{convert|888|ft|m}}
|floor_count = 57<ref name=skyscraperCenter/>
|floor_area = {{convert|1,249,981|sqft|m2}}
|elevator_count =
|cost =
|architect = [[Cesar Pelli]]<ref name=skyscraperCenter/>
|structural_engineer= [[Magnusson Klemencic Associates|Skilling Ward Magnusson Barkshire]]
|main_contractor =
|developer = [[Richard E. Jacobs Group]]
|owner = The Millennia Companies<ref>{{cite news|first=Michelle|last=Jarboe|title=Key Tower returns to local ownership, with $267.5 million sale to Millennia Companies|url=http://realestate.cleveland.com/realestate-news/2017/01/key_tower_returns_to_local_own.html|work=[[The Plain Dealer]]|date=2017-01-31|access-date=2017-02-01|archive-date=2017-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170903165644/http://realestate.cleveland.com/realestate-news/2017/01/key_tower_returns_to_local_own.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
|references = <ref name=skyscraperCenter/>
|website = {{URL|https://keytowerohio.com/}}
}}

'''Key Tower''' (formerly known as Society Center) is a 57 story [[skyscraper]] on [[Public Square, Cleveland|Public Square]] in [[downtown Cleveland]], Ohio. Designed by architect [[César Pelli]] and completed in 1991, the {{convert|947|ft|m}} building is the [[List of tallest buildings in Ohio|tallest]] in the state of Ohio, the [[List of tallest buildings in the United States|42nd-tallest]] in the United States, and the [[List of tallest buildings in the world|165th-tallest]] in the world.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.emporis.com/statistics/worlds-tallest-buildings|title=The World's Tallest Buildings | Statistics | EMPORIS|website=[[Emporis]]|access-date=2019-07-17|archive-date=2018-06-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180624121309/https://www.emporis.com/statistics/worlds-tallest-buildings|url-status=usurped}}</ref> Visible from up to {{convert|20|mi|km}} away, the tower contains about 1.5 million square feet (139,355 m²) of office space.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=SC6 |title=Society Center |encyclopedia=The Encyclopedia of Cleveland History |publisher=[[Case Western Reserve University]] |date=1997-07-22 |access-date=2009-08-22 |archive-date=2010-06-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100614020757/http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=SC6 |url-status=live }}</ref>

Key Tower's anchor tenant is [[KeyCorp]], a major regional financial services firm. In 2014 the law firm of [[BakerHostetler]] announced that it would move its headquarters to the building, taking up several floors being vacated by KeyCorp.<ref>{{cite news|title=BakerHostetler plans move to Key Tower from PNC Center in 2016|url=http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/01/bakerhostetler_plans_move_to_k.html|access-date=4 June 2014|work=Cleveland.com|date=3 January 2014|archive-date=6 June 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140606235216/http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2014/01/bakerhostetler_plans_move_to_k.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The international law firm [[Squire Patton Boggs]] is headquartered here and a major tenant. It is also headquarters to [[Dan T. Moore Companies]], located on the 27th floor. Key Tower is connected to the [[Marriott at Key Center]], built in conjunction with the tower, and the older [[Society for Savings Building]]. It was the tallest building between [[New York City]] and [[Chicago]] until 2007, and is the tallest building in the [[Midwest United States]] outside of Chicago.

In October 2008, Wells Real Estate Funds purchased Key Center,<ref name=":0" /> including Key Tower, [[Marriott at Key Center]], Society for Savings Building, and the underground Memorial Plaza Garage. Key Tower was subsequently acquired by The Millennia Companies in 2017 for $267.5 million.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jarboe |first1=Michelle |title=Key Tower returns to local ownership, with $267.5 million sale to Millennia Companies (photos) |url=https://www.cleveland.com/realestate-news/2017/01/key_tower_returns_to_local_own.html |website=cleveland.com |date=February 2017 |publisher=The Plain Dealer |access-date=3 April 2020 |archive-date=12 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200312125559/https://www.cleveland.com/realestate-news/2017/01/key_tower_returns_to_local_own.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

==History==
It was originally built as the '''Society Center''' and was the headquarters for Cleveland-based [[Society Corporation]] bank. Society had recently acquired AmeriTrust and canceled AmeriTrust's plans for an even taller (61-story)<ref>1991 ''[[World Almanac]]'' page 661</ref> building on Public Square. Its opening ended the [[Terminal Tower]]'s 60-year reign as the tallest building in Ohio.

It was renamed Key Tower after Society merged with KeyCorp and took the KeyCorp name. Indeed, it was decided to make Cleveland the headquarters for the new KeyCorp because it was felt the then-Society Center was more commensurate with the merged bank's status as a major bank. Pelli originally intended its design for the [[Wells Fargo Center (Minneapolis)|Norwest Center]] in [[Minneapolis]], but a late change to the site led to Pelli designing a new tower for it.

Key Tower was developed by the [[Richard E. Jacobs Group]].<ref name=":0">{{cite news |first=Michelle |last=Jarboe |title=Jacobs Group no longer owns stake in Key Center |url=http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/04/jacobs_group_no_longer_owns_st.html |work=The Plain Dealer |location=Cleveland, Ohio |date=2009-04-21 |access-date=2009-04-22 |archive-date=2011-06-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607144920/http://www.cleveland.com/business/index.ssf/2009/04/jacobs_group_no_longer_owns_st.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

When Society Center was completed in 1991 by [[Turner Construction]], it became the tallest building between [[Chicago]] and [[New York City]]. The {{convert|975|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Comcast Center (office building)|Comcast Center]] in [[Philadelphia]] assumed this distinction in 2007. The Chamber of Commerce Building stood on the tower's site from 1898 to 1955.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |url=http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=COCB |title=Chamber of Commerce Building |encyclopedia=Encyclopedia of Cleveland History |publisher=[[Case Western Reserve University]] |access-date=2007-01-06 |archive-date=2006-09-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060907205028/http://ech.case.edu/ech-cgi/article.pl?id=COCB |url-status=live }}</ref>

''F-111'', [[James Rosenquist]]'s large [[pop art]] painting, hung in the tower's lobby until building owner [[Richard Jacobs (businessman)|Richard Jacobs]] sold it to the [[Museum of Modern Art]] in 1996. He replaced it in 1998 with ''Songs for Sale'', a mural by artist [[David Salle]].<ref>Litt, Steven. "Salle Mural Quietly Fills Key Tower Void", ''[[The Plain Dealer]]''. March 22, 1998.</ref> In October 2005, Key Bank installed four {{convert|15|ft|m|adj=on}} long illuminated logos at the base of the tower's crowning pyramid. Each sign weighs {{convert|1500|lb|kg}}.

A smaller-scale building was proposed by Pelli to be built in [[Hartford, Connecticut]], during the late 1980s, but the plan was ultimately canceled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.emporis.com/application/?nav=building&lng=3&id=121788 |title=Key Tower |publisher=[[Emporis]] |access-date=2009-08-22 |archive-date=2022-05-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505064536/https://www.emporis.com/buildings/121788/key-tower-cleveland-oh-usa |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of tallest buildings by U.S. state]]
*[[List of tallest buildings in Cleveland]]
*[[List of tallest buildings in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* [http://www.skyscrapercenter.com/building/key-tower/585 Key Tower] on [[CTBUH]] Skyscraper Center
*[http://www.bluffton.edu/~sullivanm/ohio/cleveland/keytower/pelli.html Images and architectural information]

{{Buildings in Cleveland, Ohio timeline}}
{{Buildings in Ohio timeline}}
{{Tallest Buildings by U.S. state|state=autocollapse}}

[[Category:César Pelli buildings]]
[[Category:Skyscraper office buildings in Cleveland]]
[[Category:1991 establishments in Ohio]]
[[Category:Office buildings completed in 1991]]
[[Category:Corporate headquarters in the United States]]
[[Category:Downtown Cleveland]]

Key Tower - Revision history

imported>Yedaman54 at 06:51, 8 October 2025