Phase II moving forward

Early Learning Village, Secondary Campus ground breaking recently took place

City leaders, administrators, students and residents last month gathered to break on the Euclid Early Learning Village (preschool and kindergarten) and Secondary Campus (Euclid High School and Middle School), literally digging into the district’s future.

With the event, the district is moving closer to its Finish the Job Phase II construction that voters approved in November 2016, consisting of renovation, additions and partial demolition of the existing Euclid High School and career tech classrooms.

Phase II also has improved recreational facilities at Sparky DiBiasio Stadium, which already had a soft opening last year, hosting its first playoff game in the new stadium in November. A grand opening is slated for the Aug. 24 football game against Glenville, according to Audrey Holtzman, marketing and public relations coordinator for Euclid Schools.

The third game of the season against St. Ignatius on Sept. 7 will feature an alumni reunion for both schools.

“The Early Learning Village will open in August 2019 and the Secondary Campus in August 2020,” Holtzman said. “As of now, there are no delays anticipated. Construction will begin as soon as school ends. The public can expect to see work beginning June 1.”

The Early Learning Village on Elinore Avenue will feature two new, distinct wings, the first with 16 classrooms for kindergarten students and the second with 16 for early learners (3- and 4-year-olds), according to the district.

Both structures will be two stories tall and extend from the area that previously served as the western wing of Forest Park Middle School. The district’s architect, ThenDesign Architecture of Willoughby, and construction manager, Hammond Construction, have facilitated the preservation of the former gyms, auditorium, music rooms and cafeteria of the former middle school. The areas will be renovated and improved for use in the new Early Learning Village.

Subcontractors are currently bidding on the various segments of the project, and demolition of the eastern wing of the existing facility will begin in April.

The northern (athletic) and southern (music) wings of the current Euclid High School will remain largely intact through the Secondary Campus construction. The new middle school will rise just south of the music corridor of Euclid High School, facing Tracy Avenue. The new classrooms of the high school will be built directly west of the current facility, occupying a portion of the front lawn toward East 222nd Street.

Unlike the high school at 650,000 square feet and the 80,000-square-foot Early Learning Village, upgrades to the athletic facilities were much less complex to plan and build, the district noted. Additionally, state funding requires specific procedures to be followed to satisfy the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission guidelines.

For more information, visit www.euclidschools.org/FinishTheJobBlog.aspx.

“The Early Learning Village will open in August 2019 and the Secondary Campus in August 2020. As of now, there are no delays anticipated. Construction will begin as soon as school ends. The public can expect to see work beginning June 1” — Audrey Holtzman, marketing and public relations coordinator for Euclid Schools

SUBMITTED Euclid Schools recently broke ground on its Early Learning Village and Secondary Campus.