• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

LC2 Fellows Summary Report June 2015 Design Services Provided by: BIALOSKY + PARTNERS ARCHITECTS Abstract LC2 Fellows, a program of the Cleveland Leadership Center, undertook the initiative to envision the possible redevelopment and reuse of Collinwood High School. In support of their vision, this year’s LC2 Fellows sought to create a catalytic process of revitalizing the South Collinwood neighborhood. The presenting challenge of Collinwood High School is its significant emotional and historical value juxtaposed by its current unsustainable operational model to the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. LC2 Fellows, a group of 26 individuals representing a cross-section of our community’s leaders, considered multiple repurposing strategies during its review process. In each case, significant obstacles were discovered that presented near insurmountable challenges. 2 This report summarizes the work of the LC2 Fellows and outlines potential options for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to consider. BACKGROUND Each year, a group of volunteer alumni from past Leadership Cleveland classes enroll in the LC2 Fellows program. LC2 Fellows (LC2) is designed to engage alumni in an outcome-driven civic engagement experience resulting in positive sustainable change in our community. Consisting of twenty-six members, this year’s LC2 Fellows represented a diverse cross-section of our city’s for-profit, non-profit, and government sectors. (See Appendix A for the roster of LC2 Fellows.) LC2 created an initial vision and mission for their work. The group ambitiously dedicated themselves to serving as change agents in Cleveland’s neighborhood revitalization with a focus on schools as a core asset. LC2’s goals were to: • Make a lasting difference and leave a true legacy. • Take on a project not likely to happen without the LC2 initiative. • Apply proven approaches that could become part of a new scalable, sustainable, transferable model. • Explore realistic funding sources and the likelihood of securing that support. LC2 began their work in October 2014 by identifying a project that would help them achieve these goals. LC2 spent the fall learning about neighborhood revitalization with schools as a core asset. Fourteen different organizations shared approximately twenty “pitches” or ideas for LC2 to consider as the project of choice. After signficant reflection, dialogue, and additional research, LC2 decided in January to focus their efforts on developing a plan for the Cleveland Metropolitan School District to consider for the adaptive re-use of the Collinwood High School building. The goal was to complete the plan by the end of May 2015. (See Appendix B for Project Map.) 3 Reimagining Collinwood High School | Summary Report PROJECT FOCUS: Develop a comprehensive redevelopment plan for Collinwood High School that would serve as a catalyst for revitalizing the South Collinwood neighborhood. THE PROJECT The most compelling request for guidance and engagement came from a presentation by Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District (the District), with support from Councilman Michael Polensek of the Collinwood area. Once the epicenter of the Collinwood neighborhood, Collinwood High School (CHS) is now in flux. CHS student enrollment for School Year 2014-2015 is approximately 530, while the building itself has capacity to accommodate up to 3,500 students (although during its peak years, 5,000 students attended CHS). Student performance has been stagnant. The school has been identified by CEO Gordon as an investment school, and as such, CHS currently receives wrap-around services coordinated by United Way of Greater Cleveland. Also underway at CHS is a transformation to the New Tech curricular model. Within this context, LC2 Fellows chose to focus on how to redevelop the CHS building to be a catalyst for positive change in the South Collinwood community. In choosing CHS as the project focus, LC2 articulated their commitment for keeping the building, which aligned with the call to action issued by CEO Gordon and Councilman Polensek. LC2 identified their vision for the project: find a catalytic reuse for the building as either a hub of new activity or as a multi-purpose facility for the neighborhood. THE MOTIVATION LC2 believed that: • If it did not engage, “saving” Collinwood High School was unlikely to happen. • With reimagined building use, student performance could improve. • This project could serve as a turning point for the immediate neighborhood and beyond. • This project could benefit multiple stakeholders: students, parents, school staff, tutors, businesses, and the entire community. The Project, since its inception, had the full backing and support of CEO Gordon. LC2 chose to invest their time and energy to rally behind the vision of saving the historic CHS building 4 by creating a viable re-use for its underutilized space. At the same time, LC2 also sought to create a process model that could be applied to other school facilities in other neighborhoods since the District has a lengthy list of buildings needing similar attention. Reimagining Collinwood High School | Summary Report Throughout the process, LC2 Teams conducted significant research and reconvened periodically to develop and test potential options for the District to consider. THE PROCESS Once LC2 identified this project, they immediately developed objectives and began an extensive investigation of possible uses. Project objectives included: • Identify stakeholders and their interests, ideas, and needs. • Explore possibilities for re-use and/or re-development of the building. • Catalogue community assets within the neighborhood to show the constellation of assets currently present at CHS. • Discover opportunities and challenges relevant to the potential uses of the building. • Develop strategies for the District to consider in the context of the physical and financial realities of the building. While loosely divided into three Teams (Community Engagement, Finance & Facilities, and Programs), collectively LC2 contributed approximately 1,000 hours of pro bono consulting work, calculated as no less than $200,000. (See Appendix C for Team Rosters.) Students from a Social Entrepreneurship Class at Notre Dame College also contributed to the research process. 5 Reimagining Collinwood High School | Summary Report Throughout the process, Teams conducted significant research independent of one another and periodically reconvened to develop and test potential options for the District to consider. The research included: • 13 key stakeholder interviews and over two dozen meetings with potential partners, representing community service agencies, key stakeholders, national organizational representatives, and local educational and workforce development professionals; (See Appendix D for Key Stakeholders and Agencies) • identifying potential funding sources for possible project elements; • extensive building walkthroughs leading to a building conditions survey; • site analysis with site and floor plans developed; and • development of an asset map and inventory of community resources within the neighborhood. (See Appendix E for Asset Map.) Research findings were shared with Team members and across all Teams. These findings supported the full LC2 meeting discussions, complemented presentations given to the full LC2 group from subject matter experts, and aided in the development and analysis of the options for consideration. A diagram of the process is attached to this report. (See Appendix F for Project Process Map). 6 Reimagining Collinwood High School | Summary Report The key to LC2’s approach was engaging a wide-array of community organizations that provide programs and services, which could be considered as partners in the proposed redevelopment effort. Employing this approach allowed LC2 to quickly gather opinions and input on a series of mixed-use options for which the participants and stakeholders saw a need and would use if developed at CHS. MIXED USE ELEMENT POTENTIAL PARTNER PRIMARY CONCERN School Based: North East Ohio Neighborhood Funding availability Health Center (NEON) Health Center Creating formal contract Community: Benjamin with the District Rose Institute on Aging Timing: Cannot consider Breakthrough Schools in the near-term Co-Located K-8 (Phase 2-3) Charter School MATCH Charter School Funding availibility Tutors in Residence Americorps, City Year Funding availibility Potential competition South Collinwood Community Partnership with the established Arts & Culture District for Arts & Culture North Collinwood (co-located inside CHS) Arts & Culture District Cuyahoga Community Workfoce Development College, Lincoln Electric, Funding availability CSX Open Doors, Boys Funding availability Youth Development & Girls Club, Youth Opportunities Unlimited Community interest Public: Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority, Salvation Ensuring local Army community buy-in On-Site Housing Senior: Benjamin Rose Public transit availability Institute on Aging Funding availability Teachers: Teach for America, Teachtown 7 MindPlay Virtual Reading Literacy Program, Harlem’s Funding availability “Children Zone” Reimagining Collinwood High School | Summary Report Throughout the process, a variety of key factors and constraints emerged while identifying potential ways in which the building could be re-developed. THEMES The Teams’ research revealed a significant number of key findings, many of which included obstacles to the successful reimagining of CHS as a catalyst for

Load more

  26

Copy Link