Quicken Loans recently announced a long-term lease to occupy 81,000 square feet of Cleveland’s historic Higbee Building, nearly doubling its footprint in downtown Cleveland. The company will relocate its 400-plus full-time Cleveland-based team members from the M.K. Ferguson building to the fourth and fifth floors of the Higbee Building in late June. In preparation for the move, the space is undergoing a $7 million renovation with the help of local contractors.
“Over the past 10 years, we have built a team of hard-working Clevelanders who are passionate about two things: delivering our clients the best mortgage experience possible and continuing the momentum taking place in downtown Cleveland,” says Jeff Perry, Vice President and Site Leader for Quicken Loans’ Cleveland office. “Our move to the Higbee Building will be big boosts to both of these objectives, allowing more room for our team to grow while contributing to the transformation of downtown Cleveland.”
The Quicken Loans Cleveland web center opened in 2006 with 50 team members from Detroit. It has since grown to a workforce of more than 400 team members, primarily consisting of Cleveland-area residents. The move to the Higbee Building will provide ample space for the growing team. Quicken Loans’ office in downtown Cleveland has also been named one of the city’s top workplaces for five consecutive years.
Quicken Loans’ presence in Cleveland has been pivotal to the company’s growth. The web center set the stage for Quicken Loans’ expansion, as its first web center outside of Michigan. The Cleveland-based team members also helped Quicken Loans become America’s largest FHA lender and the second largest mortgage lender overall.
The $7 million renovation is employing numerous local contractors. Paying tribute to the Cleveland landmark, the design of Quicken Loans’ space will include many architectural elements original to the building. In addition, a retail theme is planned for the Higbee Building, honoring the building’s original use by Higbee’s department store.
The new space is being planned, designed and furnished by dPOP!, a midwest-based design company. The interior will be created with an open style to encourage collaboration among team members and will feature an amenities-centric landscape with contemporary furniture. Quicken Loans was included on Glassdoor’s list of 10 Cool Office Spaces. The web center in the Higbee Building will carry on that legacy of colorful offices that inspire creativity and are filled with original elements adding fun to the office.
The Higbee Building, owned by affiliates of JACK Entertainment LLC, is already home to JACK Casino Cleveland and Key Bank. The building originally opened as Higbee’s Department Store in 1931. It was the primary shopping destination for Clevelanders through the 1980’s, especially during the holiday season. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
For more information, visit www.quickenloans.com.
