Lakewood Schools Will Renovate Taft Elementary

LAKEWOOD, OH — Taft Elementary will be renovated by the Lakewood City Schools, the district announced on Tuesday morning. Officials want to use the updated building as a home for expanded preschool programming and Central Office staff.

“This move will allow us to maximize a taxpayer-funded property that has been underutilized over the years since it closed as an elementary school while giving us the space needed to expand critical programming for our students and keep our Central Office staff in Board-owned property,” said Superintendent Michael J. Barnes in a statement.

Taft Elementary was originally built in 1927, making it more than 90-years-old. Additions were built in 1957 and 1970. Before it houses district staff and preschoolers, the building will need to renovated and reconfigured.

The Taft site may also play home to University of Akron and Cuyahoga Community College programs in Lakewood. The Lakewood Schools said they are in discussions with both institutions for use of a flexible meeting space.

The income generated through rental of a renovated Taft would bring new revenue to the district, officials hope. That new revenue would be used to offset the cost of renovation, which will be funded over 20 years.

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Lakewood is still developing the preschool curricular programming that would be housed at Taft. However, plans for the building's renovation call for it to be move-in ready by January 2020, and preschool offerings to start during the 2020-2021 school year.

The plans for Taft's redevelopment tie directly to the sale of the Board of Education properties on Warren Road. The site will be sold to Liberty Development Company and that deal is expected to close in early 2019.

Photo from Lakewood City Schools