St. Edward High Breaks Ground On $7 Million Project

LAKEWOOD, OH - On Saturday, St. Edward High School broke ground on a $7 million building that will provide dining and meeting space for students and visitors.

The 15,000 square foot site will also serve as a new entrance to the school, with doors and steps that face the parking lot in the southeast corner of the campus, at Detroit Avenue and Nicholson Avenue.

“Space matters,” said Jim Kubacki, St. Edward President. “This building will serve as a symbol of Holy Cross hospitality, welcoming all who enter it with warmth, comfort and the company of friends and colleagues.”

The new building will be named for Marilyn and David Palisin. The Rocky River couple were the lead benefactors for the Commons project, making a challenge grant to match donations up to $1.5 million.

“I grew up in Brooklyn. I had never really left my neighborhood until I came to St. Eds. The experience opened my eyes to a whole new world. Marilyn and I want to give the same gift to the next generations of students," David Palisin, a 1964 graduate of St. Eds, said at the groundbreaking.

The Palisin Commons are part of St. Edward's The Courage To Act fundraising campaign, launched in 2016. The three-year effort has nearly hit its $22 million goal and is being used in three ways: ensuring tuition is affordable via endowment, the creation of the Joseph and Helen Lowe Institute for Innovation, and the creation of the Palisin Commons.

“The Commons completes the third pillar to our campaign, hospitality,” said Sean Hennessy, a 1975 graduate and campaign chair. “This is our moment. We need you to have the courage to act to complete our campaign and better serve all three pillars to our community.”