CLEVELAND — "It's a balance of keeping the school elements but making it feel like home,” said the Director of Development of Vesta, Steven Rice.
The Longfellow School has a deep connection to the Collinwood neighborhood.
Built over a century ago, thousands of Clevelanders walked the halls, up until 2010, when the building closed, and classrooms fell silent. But today, there is a new life and a new purpose. The former school is now apartments for senior living.
"What we've been able to do is take the classrooms and convert them into residential units, and you've got very high ceilings, you've got amazing windows bringing in a lot of light," said Rice.
A campaign to save the building was headed by Cleveland Councilman Mike Polensek, with support from the Cleveland Restoration Society. In 2016, the Longfellow received historic landmark status from the city. Over $23 million in funding followed -and construction finished earlier this year.
"They don't build them like this anymore. Look at this building. And the thought that it could have been torn down and another empty lot in the city,” remarked Ward 8 Cleveland City Councilman, Mike Polensek.“Now we have people employed. We have residents here that are moving in from the neighborhood.”
The Longfellow has 80 apartments, one and two bedrooms. Thirty are inside the school and 50 are in a new addition at the back of the building. The design blends modern living with historical charm.
There were some challenges, but I think it was how do we preserve the space and retain the key elements,” Rice said. "We preserved the chalkboard from the old classroom we wanted. We thought that was important to really highlight and showcase for this unit."
"The care for the senior community is overwhelming. It's very nice here. It's amazing," said Sandra Williams.
Longfellow resident Williams moved from Willoughby to be closer to family.
But she immediately felt the connection between the building and the neighborhood.
"Once you mention where you are, people know, Longfellow. And most of them that come here used to go here," said Williams.
Many former Longfellow students attended the grand opening to see the transformation. The developer hopes this work can translate to other vacant buildings across the city.
“It actually already has been serving as a roadmap,” said Rice. “I think it should be something that can be a good example for other developers and other historic buildings.”
Now the connection to the neighborhood can continue to grow.
"This will be the linchpin to rebuild and reimagine this neighborhood. There's no doubt it's already started," said Polensek.
Steven Rice said the hardest part of the project was securing the funding, made of loans from the city and state, grants and tax credits. For Williams, she is excited for new neighbors and the possibility of a gazebo near the walking path on the property.
