From tires to tenants

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Photo by Pritt Entertainment Group

Tires, the commodity that made BF Goodrich a household name, cushioned the fall as blocks of concrete factory floors were curt from their moorings in the demolition and reconstruction of one of the company’s old headquarters in its transformation, from industrial relic to office building.

   More than 25 years since it was gutted and completely renovated, the AES building is now a Class A office building – one of only three in downtown Akron.  The developer who controls it says the renaissance that has taken place there can serve as the model for many other buildings in the region still charting a course from its heyday as the rubber capital of the world.

“The fact that this has been a really transformative rebirth of this large, large factory building, I think is a story of interest (and) probably can be an example or maybe a role model for other large buildings in Canton-Akron and so forth, that there can be new life, strong, economically viable, new life, if the structure itself is solid,” says David Schipper during a tour of the seven-story building, which his brother-in-law, developer Paul Tell Jr., renovated.

   “This is like Fort Knox, the way this building was built,” Schipper adds.

   A Marine veteran who flew helicopters during the Vietnam War, Schipper served as a psychologist for eight years.  His father-in-law, Paul Tell Sr., got him into the real estate game, and Schipper has been CEO and president of the Schipper Group since 1987.  Both Tells have since died.

   The AES Building is Tell’s legacy and the Schipper Group’s crown jewel.

   Built in 1925, BF Goodrich’s Building No. 41 at 388 S. Main St., was the northernmost of several that composed the company’s Akron complex, where 15,000 employees once made an array of rubber products.  Including billions of rubber bands, as well as John Glen’s spacesuit.

   When the machines fell silent in the mid-1080s, there was no guarantee the jobs would bounce back – until 1994, when Tell Jr. began renovations on the abandoned building.

   The building’s defining feature is its six-story atrium with skylights.  A web of concrete and rebar stabilizes the center of the building, where floors reinforced for heavy industry were removed, to bring light into the building.

  Drawn to the University of Akron’s polymer research department, Advanced Elastomer Systems (AES), a subsidiary of ExxonMobil, relocated 225 jobs from St. Louis to Akron in 1996. And while it’s since moved on to Houston, other companies have settled in.

   OHM Advisors, an architectural and engineering firm, is among the current tenants, a list that also includes Akron-area bellwethers such as the Akron Beacon Journal, and an office of Summa Hospital physicians and the Brouse McDowell law firm.

   Ruth Klee, transportation project manager for OHM Advisors, one of 17 current tenants, says,  “The beauty of the building, grounds and interior architecture was a hit with our clients during our open house and showed well for our company.  It is easy for our customers to find and park, which alleviates the frustration of finding a parking area in the middle of downtown.”

  With about three-quarters of the building currently rented, seven suites ranging in size from 2,363 rentable square feet (RSF) to 33,330 RSF are available.  One sixth-floor unit, measuring about 23,000 RSF is gutted to the subfloors, with stunning views of the city on three sides.  Prospective tenants can negotiate the details of interior design and layout, with build-out and improvement costs reflected in their rent.

   The Schipper Group can even prepare a “building-within-a-building” lease with multi-story units with exclusive-use elevators and entryways.

  The building offers 24/7 security; an eatery on the second floor; and state-of-the-art telecommunications with 11 fiber-optic service providers.  A key feature is outside — more than 1,200 parking spots under the Schipper Group control, with more than 200 available in a secured parking garage.

   According to the Schipper Group, the setup gives workers the type of parking they could expect in the suburbs, with the amenities that are only available downtown.

   Schipper points out parking lots from an enclosed sky bridge that links the building to 425 parking spaces on the other side of the Ohio & Erie Canal; during the winter, he says, workers log their steps walking across the bridge and back.  The Towpath and the Freedom Trail also beckon for bicyclists and hikers; both cross paths with the AES Building.

   Lindsay Smith, marketing and public relations director for Metro Parks, says the Schipper Group worked with the park district to create a “win-win” for park enthusiasts, as well as the building and its occupants.  In 2017, the park district and Schipper Group agreed to split the cost of the land crossing through an AES Building parking lot near Selle Street that serves as a link on the Freedom Trail.

   “We anticipate that when this section of the Freedom Trail is open, visitors will be able to utilize the parking lot outside business hours,” Smith says.

   While he acknowledges only a small number of tenants’ workers might use the Freedom Trail, Schipper says the building offers something for everyone – starting with its parking.  In addition, he says companies transferring into the region will find a bevy of benefits for their employees – a low cost of living, light traffic, easy access to freeways and parks, lots of educational options.  The area has strong values and people with a strong work ethic, he says.

   The transformation of the AES Building leverages these advantages.

   “The AES Building is within walking distance of several hundred new apartments on South Main Street in downtown Akron’s renaissance, plus its many food and entertainment amenities.  Being just a  few blocks from the University of Akron and with an abundance of rental housing is a big boon to obtaining and retaining new young college-educated employees,” Schipper says.