Official: Cleveland High School To Close!
Back in March I reported a rumor that Cleveland High School was to be torn down. People questioned this, saying it was not possible. Well, today it got a little closer to the truth.
PubDef Weekly’s Antonio French has confirmed school Superintendent Creg Williams is looking at moving classes to another school and possibly selling the building. At this point the fate of the building is unknown.
Photo courtesy of Built St. Louis.
– Steve
Antonio French confirmed nothing. Creg Williams and the public meeting agenda confirmed something, and French reported on it.
Furthermore, Williams “looking at moving classes” and saying the district would be interested in “possibly selling the building” is far from “official” news that the high school “will” close. Accurate headlines would include “Cleveland High School Will Close, Methinks” or “Official: Cleveland High School May Close.”
In any case, it’s nowhere near saying the building will be torn down.
Here’s a prescient scoop for ya…
Cleveland closes. Sits vacant for two years.
In the meantime, school board issues RFP for its sale.
Developer acquires, converts to market rate condos, selling for upwards of $250,000 per unit.
No big whoop.
I seriously doubt the Cleveland building will be torn down, but as condos/apartments it will cease to be an institutional bulwark of the South Side.
I wonder if a creative (not a strip mall!) retail project could be developed on the athletic field, which has some frontage on South Grand.
[REPLY – I have no doubts in my mind the school will close. As for demolition, I would not put it past school/city officials. The fact a number of folks are already talking numbers to renovate the building tells me they are trying to build a case for demolition.
The athletic field will be a major issue. The beauty of the school is the field in front of the building along Grand. Infill on the field would have a big change on the area, perhaps good but perhaps not. It deserves watching. – SLP]
While one would think that an Ittner school is protected from demolition, stranger things have happened.
Steve-
The “Cleveland School Lofts” project is an easy vision. Can’t you see it?
Just having a chance to do a big school-to-condo project on South Grand will have developers climbing all over each other – just like the coy fish at the Missouri Botanical Garden during feeding time.
Meramec retail district (with historic tax credits)
+ Cleveland School Lofts + atheletic field turned into something awesome + Ted Drewes = priceless.
I completely think some of the comments are irrational. Do you even think about the history of the building before you were born? well, obviously not. I went to clevelands ROTC program and yes, the building is run down but when the SLPS is talking about spending to the tune of $325,000 on themselves for “new cubicles and office space” in downtown i have to say that their priorities are twisted!