THE WILLIAM H. BLOCK BUILDING

This 89-year old building, with its unique terra cotta facade, was converted into 163 apartments, including a new floor added to the roof to accommodate 15 penthouses, and the structure now has 163 indoor parking spaces located in the lower level. The top seven stories of the structure were gutted, leaving only the outer facade, windows and columns in place; mass excavation was required in the basement to gain access through the alley to the lower level parking. In an attempt to retain the architectural and historic character unique to this building, the existing “tea room” and “hair salon,” as well as the pair of existing escalators on the seventh floor were retained in the redesign, while the Men’s Grille was converted into an exercise facility.