Talk about waterfront property: one of Cleveland's coolest offices -- and perhaps the only one that not only has views of Lake Erie, but actually floats on the water -- is moving to a whole new level. With $1.5 million in renovations all but complete, software studio LeanDog and Arras Keathley Advertising (AKA) are ready to debut renovations to the Kearsage, which was built in 1892 and has served as a transit ship, barge and restaurant.

The North Coast Harbor fixture has a new wind in her proverbial sales. Gone are the vinyl-clad booths and dank coolers from the ship's days as Hornblowers Barge and Grill. The new and revamped office areas are swank on the inside and lined with new windows—a lot of new windows—that offer stunning views of the lake and downtown.

"One of the challenges of renovating a boat is that it has such great views," says Jon Stahl, President of leandog. "Every time we cut a hole it was like … cut another one … cut another one ... We kept adding windows. The good news is: we ended up with a lot of windows. The bad news is: we spent a lot more money than we anticipated."

The team, spearheaded by Stahl and AKA president Jim Hickey, had originally budgeted $1.2 million. The two-phase renovation started in 2010 and hit a nine-month snafu courtesy of Hurricane Sandy in 2012. Now the race is on to get everything shipshape for the Oct. 23 christening and gala, but the finish line is in plain sight.

Improvements include an airy kitchen space in the center of the boat, a new 1,700-square-foot rooftop deck outfitted with open-air fireplaces and a 60-inch weatherproof television, and a dock where you'll find LeanDog's 27-foot fishing boat, AKA's 27-foot pleasure boat, paddleboards, kayaks and two jet skies.

"I love the water," says Stahl from the helm of the zooming fishing boat (no name yet). "Finally having access to water was a big deal for us because we had this underutilized waterfront that we all wanted to be a part of."

And now they are, with the fishing boat serving as an impromptu meeting spot; employees opting for a little lunchtime exercise courtesy of the kayaks and paddleboards; and the rooftop deck, with its giant television, as host to any number of gatherings, from business reviews to tailgate parties.

"Part of what we teach is innovation, so we wanted to have a really innovative place to work," says Stahl. "Creative people need creative environments."

The boat includes 9,219 square feet of office space, 1,700 of which is new. It also has 4,178 square feet of finished decking and a 2,036 square foot dock. The improvements came to fruition with the help of a $180,000 vacant loan grant and $95,000 low interest loan (since repaid), both from the city. No. 225 LLC (formed by Stahl and Hickey in 2012 to purchase the boat) financed the remainder of the funds through Huntington Bank. Combined, LeanDog and AKA employ 50 full-time employees and 27 full-time subcontractors.

With a few finishing touches still yet to complete, Stahl can't help but look to the future. He mentions tentative plans for more decking and a concert stage on the roof with the possibility of renting the space for venues and parties.

"If you saw it before … ," muses Stahl of the storied Kearsage as he gazes out over the lake from the rooftop deck. "You couldn't get to the water. The windows didn't even open."

"We brought it back to life."