This adaptive reuse of the former John H. Lehman High School (ca. 1920) to accommodate sixty-two (62) affordable senior apartments offering a mix of efficiency, 1- and 2-br units. The project has been closely coordinated with The City of Canton as one of their priority community revitalization projects.

With the support of the City of Canton and the benefit of low-income housing tax credits from the Ohio Housing Finance Agency and state historic tax credits from the Ohio Development Services Agency, all 62 units will be affordable to people whose incomes do not exceed 80% of area median income (AMI). One third of the units have projected rents that will target those whose income is 50% or less of AMI, with 7 units affordable at 30% AMI, 8 of which are for mobility or sensory impaired residents.

a.m. RODRIGUEZ ASSOCIATES inc. will coordinate the development activities with RDL Architects to ensure that the buildings maintain the architectural integrity and amenities admired at existing properties within their portfolio.

Oxford Place will be designed and built by an expert team of professionals with extensive experience in creating attractive, highly sustainable affordable housing that include RDL Architects, an architectural firm based out of Cleveland, Tober Construction Company, a Richfield based general contractor, and Cleveland based Naylor Wellman historic consultants. These firms represent established professionals with significant experience in the award-winning adaptive reuse of historic buildings into housing using Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and the State Historic Tax Credit programs.

Total Units: 62 affordable senior apartments

Eligibility: Minimum age of 62

Elevators: One

Project Developer: a.m. RODRIGUEZ ASSOCIATES inc.

Management: Congregate Management Services, Inc. (CMS)

Builder: Tober Construction Company

Architect: RDL Architects

Partners: Ohio Housing Finance Agency (OHFA); Huntington Bank; Naylor Wellman

Outside

• High ceilings
• Full kitchen (including stove and refrigerator), complete bath, and living/dining room
• Most apartments will have hardwood floors in living and bedrooms and tile in kitchens and baths.
• Roller blinds provided

Reviving History

Standing vacant for the past 15 years, the former John H. Lehman High School that once housed students in Canton, OH will welcome citizens into its halls once more. Alongside The City of Canton, developer a.m. Rodriguez Associates Inc. (AMR) began demolition and construction on the grounds of the senior rehabilitation property, Oxford Place, in December 2020 and recently celebrated breaking ground at its 1200 15^th Street location.

“a.m. Rodriguez Associates is excited to be part of Canton’s community revitalization with the historic preservation and conversion of the former Lehman High School to 62 units of well-designed affordable senior housing,” said Victor Rodriguez, AMR President. “Not only will the project preserve this important part of Canton’s history, but it will also remove a blighted property and provide needed senior housing – sustaining Canton’s rich history.”

Breaking Ground 

The groundbreaking ceremony was attended by over 50 alumni, who stood and joined in singing the high school’s alma mater to kick-off the celebration. Canton Mayor, Thomas Bernabei, a 1964 Lehman High School graduate himself, was among the speakers who said of the dilapidated building, “It was vandalized. It deteriorated, and it decayed.”

Lehman ushered its last graduating class in 1976, before becoming a middle school until 2004 and serving as interim space for local elementary schools during new construction periods. The building has been vacant since 2006 and had electricity cut off in 2009 due to trespassing.

The Future

The new Oxford Place project aims to support a stronger, safer Canton while contributing to the rich history of the property with sustainable construction techniques. The process has added hundreds of construction jobs to the labor pool and will serve as a crucial housing option for low income seniors for which there are few current opportunities.

credit: https://creallc.com/oxford-place-writes-new-chapter-in-cantons-history-book/