What can stand up to the wet slush of Cleveland winters, the wear and tear of heavy foot traffic and the mess that comes with feeding 35-40 children on a daily basis? A Nature Stone floor, that’s what! Nature Stone recently completed a project in the East Cleveland Public Library, installing a beautiful new floor in a multi-purpose community-use room formally called the “Lower Auditorium” but lovingly known to many as “The Pyramid of the City.”
The room was built as part of an extension of the library in 1955 and has served as an important space in the community ever since. Before the Performing Arts Center was built, the space, which can hold up to 80 people, was commonly used for jazz performances. Many famous musicians have played on the piano that still lives in the room, where concert-goers would stand from wall-to-wall just to hear the performance. Currently, it’s used for classes, community meetings, board meetings, seminars and workshops, and is home to a snack and lunch program that feeds dozens of kids daily.
The Nature Stone flooring, which replaces carpet, was chosen for its durability and stability. When compared with other flooring options, the cost-benefit analysis worked out very much in the library’s favor. Along with the new flooring, the library installed new glass-block windows that work alongside the Nature Stone floor to make the room warmer. The walls and trim were painted in cream and white tones, and act as the perfect canvas for the student art that is displayed in the room. The East Cleveland Public Library logo was applied to the flooring as a surprise to the community, and acts as a perfect focal point in the room.
The flooring project was completed in mid-December 2016 and the room has since been re-opened for community use. It was only fitting that the first group to use the newly renovated space was the library staff for their holiday potluck.
Funding for this project came from the Ohio Public Library Fund (Fun fact: Ohio and Hawaii are the only two states that fund their public libraries from the state level. All others rely on federal funding!). The renovation, which was led by Sheba Marcus-Bey (Executive Director) and Rick Cooper (Head of Facilities), will be completed when the stage is refaced to match the clean, inviting look of the rest of the room. A laser 4k projector will also be installed to bring the room’s technological capabilities up to date, and expand the function of the room.
Members of the community and the staff at the library are absolutely thrilled with the new Nature Stone flooring. The floor is durable, easy to clean and maintain and above all, looks great. Nature Stone is so proud to have been part of this project, and hopes the room continues to serve the community for years and years to come.
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