Quay 55, Cleveland, Ohio

Occupying a five story historic structure aligned along a substantial wharf that juts out into Lake Erie, Quay 55 is the first and only such waterfront apartment development in Cleveland.

In 1929, an original wharf facility was built by the Nicholson Terminal & Dock Company of Michigan, as an off-loading and transshipment point for a variety of raw materials, industrial goods and manufactured products. Running the length of the concrete dock and seawall sat a 550-foot-long warehouse structure.

Over the course of the following 45 years, that structure saw paper pulp, newsprint, automobile parts and manufactured goods arrive on steamships plying the Great Lakes. By 1974, however, rail and shipping competition and the increased use of larger oceangoing vessels made the terminal’s use as a warehousing way station obsolete.

Under the structure’s renovation, the unique design of the terminal’s south face — with its composition of concrete, red brick and ornamental icons of industry — was expanded to enfold the other façades of the lengthy building. In addition, expansive fifth-floor penthouse suites with panoramic lake views were constructed.

Quay 55 now offers up to 33 different apartment floor plans, detailing one-, two-, or three-bedroom suites of up to 2,100 square feet, each wired for today’s technology. All apartments are greeted by stunning lake views, whether sunrise or sunset. In addition to both surface parking and heated indoor parking, Quay 55 also provides within its secure gated confines an extensive list of amenities to its residents — harbor and marina access, a private waterfront park, boardwalk, lakefront hiking & jogging paths, lakeside swimming pool, fitness center, sauna, party room, conference room, deli and coffee house.