House of Blues Cleveland Brings Funky Elegance to Soul of Downtown Congratulations D-A-S Construction on House of Blues Cleveland
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MANAGEMENT • CONSTRUCTION FINANCING • BROKERAGE • MAINTENANCE • APPRAISAL House of Blues Cleveland brings funky elegance to soul of downtown Congratulations D-A-S Construction on House of Blues Cleveland plumbing supply co. www.activeplumbing.com We have a better solution for your water heater needs High efficiency water heaters and boilers: • lower operating costs • greater installation flexibility • higher efficiency • longer life • longer warranty • ease of maintenance • lower purchase price • lower replacement costs Call your local water heater specialist at: Cleveland 216-459-2700 Stu Willoughby 440-953-1532 Joe Painesville 440-352-4411 Pat Bainbridge 440-543-2233 Stu Ashtabula 440-964-7575 Art In Stock Now Pleased to provide custom architectural millwork, bars & cabinetry for House of Blues Cleveland 5330 SMITH ROAD, BROOK PARK, OHIO 44142 PHONE 216-267-5330 | FAX 216-267-1441 2 Properties | March 2005 House of Blues lands new home in Cleveland Story by Mark Watt | Photos by Roger Mastroianni n the final weeks before House Artists from the New Orleans- us, but it’s just what they do. House of Blues Cleveland opened to based development/creative services of Blues spends a fortune making Ithe public in November 2004, a department of House of Blues paused new [clubs] look old and funky.” few members of the construction and from their work nearby. design crews were walking through “It looks too good already,” said the new, 47,000-square-foot live Lead Artist Holly Mandot. “Don’t do “The nicest House of music and dining complex, checking anymore. In fact, we wish it was in Blues club yet” the status of remaining work. worse condition.” Founded in 1992 as a home for live Scott Rauch, project manager with Rauch recalls that by the next day, music and southern-styled cuisine D-A-S Construction Co., remembers the painters had poured Elmer’s glue with the opening of its first club in standing on a staircase leading into all over the iron railings and “just let Cambridge, Massachusetts, House of the venue’s 1,200-capacity music it drip down, leaving globs of glue on Blues has evolved into an entertain- hall when Project Architect Mike the underside of all the railings.” ment powerhouse with international Lowry, with Atlanta-based firm “Now when you walk up and down recognition. House of Blues Cooper Cary, Inc., ran his hand the stairs and slide your hands along Entertainment, Inc. is now the along the stairway’s iron railing and the railings, it feels as if there are a second largest live music promoter in mentioned that it could use some thousand coats of paint on there,” he the world (second only to Clear dressing up. says, with a laugh. “You see those Channel Entertainment). The “No, no, leave it alone,” said a kinds of tricks all over this place. It’s number of its namesake club venues voice from the top of the stairs. what made this project so unique for continues to grow as well. www.propertiesmag.com 3 BLUES BEACON Located at East Fourth Street and Euclid, Cleveland’s newest dining and live music venue House of Blues (above) features a 1,200-capacity music hall (left), a 300-seat restaurant, a special events room, a richly detailed private club and a souvenir store, as well as a substantial collection of folk art and worldly artifacts. Celebrating the culture of blues new construction in favor of exten- As its newest completed project, music and folk art, House of Blues’ sive, adaptive reuse of old, existing House of Blues Cleveland continues eight operating clubs - located in buildings when finding homes for the chain’s tradition. Located at East Anaheim, Chicago, Los Angeles, Las new venues. But all eight clubs share Fourth Street and Euclid Avenue and Vegas, Myrtle Beach, New Orleans, a similar look and feel - a funky serving as an entertainment anchor Orlando and now Cleveland - amalgam of rustic, Southern juke- for development firm MRN Ltd.’s attract more than eight million visi- joint charm and folk art surrealism East Fourth Street Neighborhood tors annually. underscored by striking imagery from project (see related story, page 13), The layout of each club is unique, all major religions - that is central to the venue combines old and new fea- largely due to a preference to forego the House of Blues experience. tures in creative ways. Proud to be part of the team for House of Blues Cleveland with D-A-S Construction CONTAINER SERVICE, INC. “The Leader in Container Service” • Residential • Industrial • Commercial • Radio Dispatched • Family Owned • Wood Pallets • Fully Insured • Construction • 20, 30, 40 Yard (216) 524-4191 • Rubbish • Organics Containers 4 Properties | March 2005 With an essentially L- shaped floorplan that curls around the mixed-use resi- dential and commercial Windsor building on the intersection’s southwest corner, House of Blues Cleveland is carved into the old Woolworth’s Building on Euclid and the Rainbow and Lee’s build- ings along East Fourth. Within this shell sit the two-level concert hall, a 300-seat restaurant, six bars, private club areas and a special events room, all of which are furnished with exotic, unconventional fur- nishings from around the globe. LOCAL LOOK Showcased in the restaurant, a mural by Cleveland artist Peter Wood celebrates the 1952 From custom painted Moondog Coronation Ball,a Cleveland event considered the first rock ‘n’roll concert. murals and intricate faux finishes to original pieces of folk art contractors and others need to be the United States, she says, but it and exotic ornamentation, the walls involved for a project of this size and would not have happened without and ceilings of virtually every public detail.” the initial concept of area develop- space of the club are covered with Pulling the job together was the ment firm MRN Ltd. unique treatments that communi- result of the work of many contribu- “The fact that Cleveland now has cate the House of Blues mission to tors not just from Northeast Ohio a House of Blues all began with Rick “celebrate the diversity and brother- but also from throughout the rest of and Ari Maron [the father/son team hood of world culture.” “There’s a little flavor on just about every aspect of the building, from hand-painted art frames to custom-built bar panels,” says Joe Perra, construction design manager COLUMBIA for the House of Blues Development & Creative Services Department. BUILDINGPRODUCTS The finished project is an exciting addition to the city of Cleveland, says Molly Rose, principal of Idletime Network, Inc., which repre- sents House of Blues. “It’s the nicest House of Blues club around today,” Rose says. “We feel this is the best yet because each time a new club goes up, it’s better than the last. This is going to be one of the easiest clubs to operate because it PROUD TO BE PART was thought out, planned and built OF THE TEAM AT so well. Plus, [the artist team] has just gone all out.” HOUSE OF BLUES CLEVELAND Building the house “It’s amazing how many people it takes to put [a House of Blues club] together,” Rose says. “People might not realize just how many consult- PHONE 440.235.3363 | FAX 440.235.3372 ants, designers, engineers, vendors, 25961 ELM STREET, OLMSTED FALLS, OH 44138 www.propertiesmag.com 5 that lead MRN Ltd.]”, she says. “They had a vision and because of them the project is there.” Seeking a quality anchor for its ambitious mixed-use redevelopment THANK YOU along East Fourth Street, MRN Ltd. MRN, LTD. & contacted House of Blues to entice the company to believe in MRN’s GOOD LUCK TO vision and open a club in an area that had once struggled with empty HOUSE OF BLUES storefronts and a seedy reputation. “For a whole host of reasons, we CLEVELAND were excited about what House of Blues does as a company and the impact that it could have on our project and the city of Cleveland,” Ari Maron says. “In turn, they became very excited about the future of Fourth Street and the lower Euclid Craig S. Cohen P.E. Avenue area. They decided they wanted to be a part of that future.” Structural Engineering As the planning process began for Three Commerce Park Square, Suite 200 a new House of Blues in Cleveland, Chagrin Boulevard, Beachwood, OH 44122 roles for the construction became clear. MRN Ltd., along with its role Phone 216.763.2505 as landlord, was to be an operating partner with House of Blues and Fax 216.464.2062 would handle structural steel and sys- Email [email protected] tems contracting. House of Blues would take care of audio/visual/light- Complete Abatement & Environmental Services COMMERCIAL — INDUSTRIAL Committed to Excellence . •ASBESTOS &LEAD ABATEMENT •CONCRETE SAWING AND •ENVIRONMENTAL REMEDIATION DRILLING •SELECTIVE DEMOLITION •FLOOR COVERING REMOVAL •INDOOR AIR QUALITY •SURFACE PREPARATION . Dedicated to quality and performance Member of Construction Employers’ Association 5722 Schaaf Road (216) 642-6040 Independence, Ohio 44131 Fax: (216) 642-0891 Emergency Response Service Available 6 Properties | March 2005 DISTRIBUTORS OF CONSTRUCTION SPECIALTIES PROUD TO HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF BLUES TEAM WITH MRN LTD. Your source for quality BLUES IN GREEN Touring bands playing House of Blues Cleveland can kick back in one of two backstage “Green Rooms”with kitchen facilities, showers and other amenities.In “Green concrete & masonry products: Room B,”a nude Janis Joplin portrait fills an entire wall. � Decorative Concrete Systems ing systems contracting. D-A-S with light demolition in early 2004, Construction was enlisted as con- the official start date would be � Anchors tractor for general trades with March 2004 and continue for the fol- Project Manager Scott Rauch lowing 12 months for a March 2005 � Masonry & Concrete responsible for overall scheduling opening.