NORTH RIDGEVILLE — North Ridgeville City Schools, in partnership with ThenDesign Architecture and Hammond Construction, hosted a Community Night last Wednesday evening to present the designs and timeline for the district’s highly anticipated new high school and maintenance and transportation facility. An estimated 100 people attended who had the opportunity to gain insight into the layout of the new buildings and understand how ongoing construction will impact the campus.
The new high school, which will span 340,000 square feet, is more than double the size of the current building, signaling a new chapter for the district’s educational future. The team from ThenDesign Architecture began the evening by reviewing the progress made in prior sessions, including educational visioning workshops, a visual preference survey, and staff engagement meetings. Attendees then viewed an overall site plan, diagrammatic floor plans for both levels, and preliminary conceptual renderings of the future high school.
Claire Bank, ThenDesign Architecture project manager shared, “Over the past several months, we’ve engaged in countless meetings and events, actively listening to the needs and aspirations of the stakeholders. As the architects leading this project, our priority is to ensure that voices are heard, particularly from those who will experience the daily life and functions of this building. This input is invaluable in shaping a space that truly serves its community.”
After soliciting input from students, staff, and the community, the more than 75 academic spaces will have what is described as a more “collegiate feel” with collaborative spaces designed to foster relationships. An included auditorium will provide the necessary space to support our growing performing arts programming.
Thanks to the diligent efforts of the school district’s treasurer’s office, which secured a favorable credit rating and successfully sold bonds, the district will be able to maximize its resources and include key features that designers say will benefit students.
The most notable addition is a state-of-the-art natatorium to support the district’s swim team. The inclusion of the swimming pool is a major milestone, offering not only training and competition space but also potential revenue streams through rental opportunities for swim teams in the area.
“This is something our community has been vocal about,” said Superintendent Roxann Ramsey-Caserio. “We’ve had numerous community members speak to the Board of Education about the incredible opportunities a pool will create for our students, residents, and neighboring districts. We’re absolutely thrilled to have incorporated this in our plans.”
“This is an exciting milestone for our district,” Ramsey-Caserio added. “The event provides our community with an in-depth look at the design elements we’ve incorporated, while also ensuring that everyone is aware of how construction will affect campus operations, including traffic flow and parking.”
Hammond Construction provided a detailed timeline for the project, laying out the key phases of construction. Early site work for the maintenance and transportation facility will begin in the spring of 2025 on the north side of the Academic Center on Ranger Way. As the 2024-2025 academic year ends, preparations for the new high school will be made, paving new parking lots and initiating site work south of the current high school on Bainbridge Road in the summer of 2025.
Construction will continue over three years, with the new high school slated to open its doors to students in August 2028. Once the new building is complete, the current high school will be demolished, and the area will be transformed into new practice fields.
Bill Schurman, Project Executive of Hammond Construction explained, “We are committed to being good neighbors with an active campus. Each of our employees undergoes comprehensive training to ensure a deep understanding of the operational boundaries within the construction zone, prioritizing minimal disruption to the current educational environment.” “Thinking about the future of NRCS is incredibly exciting,” Caserio added. “These plans represent years of discussions and input from our community, staff, and students. We are eager to watch these ideas take shape and create new opportunities for everyone involved.”
