Playhouse Square Center

Detail:

Between February 1921 and November 1922, five opulent theaters opened along the stretch of Euclid Avenue between E. 14th and E. 17th streets. Four of the new theaters - the Allen, Ohio, State and Palace - were contiguous on the north side of Euclid; across the street, the Hanna was lodged in the Hanna Building.

The area was dubbed "Playhouse Square," but some considered the tag frivolous. A civic organization called the Euclid Square Association convened and resolved to christen the district "Euclid Square." However, its efforts were in vain, because the informal name stuck.

In 1999, an investment group led by Playhouse Square Foundation agreed to acquire the historic Hanna Building, a move that brought control of the Hanna Theatre as well as significant street-level retail opportunities.

In a newspaper poll, civic leaders hailed "the saving of Playhouse Square" as the leading triumph on a list of the top 10 successes in Cleveland history. It's easy to see why.