Less than a mile from where the historic Lincoln Building recently met its end, another structure awaits a second chance at life.
Kyle Craven and the Hower Property Group LTD are poised to buy Central-Hower and transform the 237,000-square-foot, three-story former school into a hub called H+ART for creators, entrepreneurs, small businesses, makers and local innovators.
Doubling as a community gathering place, H+ART will feature 34 studios, 14 office suites, two gymnasiums and a historic 1,100-seat auditorium dating back to the 1920s. Space will be available to rent when the facility opens.
Craven and Carmen Scaccio, a member of the group, said the project was inspired by a trip to the Bok in Philadelphia, a former technical school that was transformed into a home for over 200 tenants practicing crafts from tattooing to filmmaking.
While the Summit Artspace and the Bounce Innovation Hub cater to similar tenants, H+ART occupies its own niche, Craven said.
“We consider a lot of things art,” Scaccio said. “So it could be, of course, your traditional paintings and photos, but it could also be like a baker or a wedding dress shop, or something similar to that.”
Buying Central-Hower, Craven said, made financial sense because of its proximity to another of his renovation projects – Quaker Station.
“We really feel like this location in Akron is going to be the next big area,” Craven said, “and so we’re glad we could take advantage of that.”
Being close to the Polymer Industry Cluster could help H+ART, Craven said. He hopes H+ART can accommodate people requiring additional office space, lab space, or maker space.
A big part of the project is bringing together a wide array of creatives to form a community around H+ART, Scaccio said.
“We want people to get in here, engage with other people, have conversations, and then you feel like you’re at home,” Craven said.
How much will the H+ART project cost?
Craven said purchasing the building from the University of Akron – which is selling the building to reduce its footprint – will cost $2.25 million and must still be approved by the state Controlling Board. He anticipates approval at the end of July. The building sits inside the boundaries of the Lincoln-Mill Redevelopment Area.
“We don’t expect any hiccups with this because we are paying the appraised value,” he said. Once the sale is final, Craven anticipates being able to start moving people in and begin renovating. Craven said prospective H+ART tenants big and small are already lining up.
Though Central-Hower has only been empty for two years – vacated in 2024 by Akron Public Schools’ STEM High School – some repairs are necessary. The HVAC needs redone, Craven said, and the roof replaced, but the intent is to preserve the building’s school-days character. He anticipates spending between $2 million and $5 million.
Central-Hower history
Central-Hower began its life as Akron High School at 123 S. Forge St., the first high school in town. The current building stands on the same spot.
The Akron Daily Beacon heralded its Sept. 6, 1886, opening with an article that began, “Long live Akron’s new High School!” At the time, it was the largest building in Akron.
It cost $100,000 and featured a 160-foot clock tower with illuminated dials and a 1-ton bell that tolled the hour.
By 1911, the city’s population was booming, a byproduct of Akron’s industrial era. South High School opened to accommodate the increasing population, prompting Akron High School’s name change to Central High School.
Before merging with Hower Vocational High School in 1970 and adopting the Central-Hower moniker, Central High School underwent major architectural changes, including the addition of a three-story wing and auditorium in the 1920s.
In the 1970s, the original Central building was demolished and replaced with a new $7 million structure. Only the auditorium, added in 1924, was preserved.
In 2006, the school closed, serving as classroom space for East and Buchtel high schools while they underwent renovations. In 2012, The National Inventors Hall of Fame STEM High School took root at Central-Hower.
In 2013, the University of Akron bought the building, and in 2024, the STEM school moved out, leaving it vacant.
Now, two years later, it’ll soon begin its next chapter.
Contact reporter Derek Kreider at DKreider@Gannett.com or 330-541-9413.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Historic Central-Hower to become hub for Akron’s creative set
Reporting by Derek Kreider, Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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By Derek Kreider, Akron Beacon Journal | USA TODAY Network
