The Famicos Foundation, a nonprofit community development group serving Glenville and Hough, recently completed a green renovation of the historic Doan School building into affordable apartments.

According to the Famicos Foundation website, "Originally constructed in 1904 and expanded in 1906 and 1950, Doan School, located at 1350 East 105th Street, is a national landmark that fell victim to the foreclosure epidemic.  The structure was designed by Frank Barnum, a prominent Cleveland architect who designed many early twentieth-century public schools.  In 1985 the building was converted to 45 units of low-income senior housing; in 2008 it became vacant and boarded."

Last year, Famicos began the $7.4 million renovation of Doan Classroom using low-interest deferred Neighborhood Stabilization Program loans provided by the City of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County and the Ohio Housing Finance Agency. 

Famicos also contributed its own tax credit equity to the deal. This equity was provided by the Ohio Capital Corporation for Housing through syndication of federal Historic Tax Credits as well as Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

The Doan Classroom Apartments project not only demonstrates the principles of historic renovation, but also shows that they can be married with green building.

"This was a large school building that was not built for residential use, yet we were able to renovate it so that it meets Enterprise Green Community standards," says Chuck Ackerman, Associate Director of the Famicos Foundation.

Source: Chuck Ackerman
Writer: Lee Chilcote