The Ohio Bank Building, as it was initially named, was constructed in 1929–30 by the Ohio Savings Bank And Trust for use as their headquarters. The Ohio Savings Bank And Trust occupied the office building for less than a year before the bank went out of business during the
Great Depression. In 1935, the
Owens-Illinois Glass Company moved their headquarters into the building. The building would remain O-I's headquarters until its move to One SeaGate in 1982. During this period the building was known as the Owens-Illinois Building and a large O-I sign topped the building. When O-I moved out, the iconic sign was donated to
Owens Community College and moved to the campus after being airlifted off the building by a helicopter. The building was purchased from O-I in 1982 by Toledo-based Ohio Citizens Bank, and the building was renamed as the Ohio Citizens Bank Building after O-I departed. The Ohio Citizens Bank subsequently merged with Cleveland, Ohio based National City Bank and in 1992 the building name changed to the National City Bank Building. In 1997 the building was sold by Ohio Citizens Bank for $8.3 million to 405 Madison Ltd. LLC, an investment group headed by local DiSalle Real Estate Co. executive William Thees. The new owners restored much of the original ornamental plaster, gargoyles, terrazzo flooring and travertine marble. ==See also==