Heights High remodel wins Heritage Ohio preservation award

Cleveland Heights High School renovations, completed in 2017, win Heritage Ohio's Best Public Building Rehabilitation Award.

Credit: DroneOhio.com

The recently renovated Cleveland Heights High School building was honored by Heritage Ohio with its Best Public Building Rehabilitation Award. The award was presented to Board of Education President Jim Posch and Superintendent Talisa Dixon during a ceremony on Oct. 23 at the Allen Theatre in Cleveland.

“Winning the Best Public Building Rehabilitation award is an honor for our school district and our community,” said Posch. “We appreciate the support of FutureHeights for helping to make this happen. This honor gives me a great sense of pride for my community and all the great people who worked so hard on the project.” (Full disclosure: The Heights Observer is a volunteer-written publication of FutureHeights.)

FutureHeights, the community development corporation serving Cleveland Heights and University Heights, nominated and pursued the award for the school district.

The award is presented to a municipality or governmental office that has completed the best total building improvement project based on proper preservation techniques. Projects completed between Jan. 1, 2016, and Dec. 31, 2017, were eligible for the award.

The Cleveland Heights High School building at Cedar and Lee roads originally opened in 1926, and several additions were added over the past century. A massive renovation project began in 2015, preserving the original building while removing the additions, and adding a natatorium, cafeteria and media center. The result is a blend of historical architecture with a 21st-century learning space. The building was officially reopened in August 2017, and has also been honored for engineering aspects of the renovation.

As Ohio’s official historic preservation and Main Street organization, Heritage Ohio fosters economic development and sustainability through the preservation of historic buildings, revitalization of downtowns and neighborhood commercial districts, and promotion of cultural tourism. For more information, visit www.heritageohio.org.