How It Began
Built in 1890 at a cost of $875,000, The Arcade Cleveland opened to much fanfare as the very first indoor shopping center in America. Designers John M. Eisenmann and George H. Smith designed it as an urban mercantile center and modeled it after the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy. The project was financed by Cleveland’s most esteemed businessmen of the late 19th century, including John D. Rockefeller, Steven V. Harkness, Louis Severance, Charles Brush and Marcus Hanna.
Looking to the Future
Eventually The Arcade began to deteriorate, until a $60-million renovation was completed in 2001. Today, the landmark has never looked better. As the city’s first building listed on the National Register of Historic Places, The Arcade plays a vital part in the architectural history of Cleveland.