The Open Office Will Open Its Doors in Coventry Soon

The Cleveland Heights Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for the company at its meeting Wednesday night

The former Coventry School will soon have a new tenant. The Cleveland Heights Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for The Open Office to lease space in the old elementary school at its meeting Wednesday night. Founder Andrew Auten wants to provide a coworking environment and professional office space for people who normally work from home or coffee shops. “Hey, I love Phoenix ... but at the same time it’s not always that conducive to producing. We want to provide a work space that’s larger than a café table and has a reliable, secure wi-fi connection,” Auten said. “That’s what we want to offer — a third space that’s not (the coffee shop) and not your home.” The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School Board approved a …

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VIDEO: Cleveland Heights Police Help Deliver Food Baskets Thursday

The police department joined nearly 10 others to help deliver food baskets to Cleveland Sight Center clients

The Cleveland Heights Police Department joined several other area departments at Zagara's Marketplace bright and early Thursday morning to help deliver food baskets to clients of the Cleveland Sight Center. The 29-year-old program was started by the Cleveland Police Department and the Sight Center, which moved to the former Coventry School earlier this year while its facility in Cleveland is renovated. Many people collaborated to prepare and deliver 180 baskets. Volunteers from the Sight Center helped wrap and prepare the food baskets, Zagara's donated the food, the Delta Gammas helped put them together, Orlando Baking Company donated a gift certificate and Toys for Tots donated toys.

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Aging Well

Cleveland Sight Center Offers Assistance to Senior Adults With Eyesight Challenges

The Cleveland Sight Center provides creative solutions

As we age, it is typical to experience eyesight loss to at least some degree.  For senior adults with Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD), the degree of loss can be frustrating and debilitating. The National Institutes of Health National Eye Institute defines AMD as "a disease associated with aging that gradually destroys sharp, central vision." Central vision is located in the middle part of the eye, around the cornea and pupil. For seniors affected by AMD, the central vision becomes increasingly blurry, making it hard to see objects and people, and to do daily tasks such as reading, driving and cooking. Eventually doctors may tell people with AMD that there is nothing more that they can do to control the vision loss.   For senior …

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Nikki Ferrell

5:42 pm on Tuesday, October 4, 2011

Thanks for weighing in, Linda! I'm so glad the Center has been a help to you.   more ›

Council May Allow More Types of Businesses to Use Vacant Buildings

Planning Commission recommends expansion of "adaptive re-use" of non-residential buildings

Cleveland Heights City Council will consider allowing more types of industries to use vacant buildings such as schools, churches and libraries in the city at its meeting Monday. Businesses and organizations with an educational purpose can already use these vacant buildings in residential districts, with conditions. For example, the former Coventry School, which closed in 2007, now houses the Ensemble Theatre, Cleveland Sight Center and Family Connections. In order to use the space, the new tenants had to go through the Planning Commission and get conditional use permit, which spells out rules and guidelines for using the old elementary school. And a new tenant was granted a permit at Wednesday's Planning Commission meeting, where they …

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Residents Voice Concerns, Give Praise at Public Hearing About Proposed Zoning Changes

About 30 people attended a meeting Monday night to hear more about possible zoning changes to buildings like schools, churches and libraries in residential areas

The City of Cleveland Heights held a public hearing Monday night in Council Chambers to review changes to a zoning code that, if passed, would set conditions but allow organizations and businesses to obtain permits to use vacant buildings like churches, libraries and schools in residential areas. The ordinance will go back to the Planning Commission Wednesday, and could be approved by council at its next regular meeting Aug. 15.  Residents wanted to know how the city would inform them about new tenants, if the ordinance would apply to the former Oakwood Country Club, what types of businesses could move in and why the ordinance was initially written with an emergency clause. Proposed changes to the zoning code  Councilman Dennis Wilcox said…

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Sun Press: Ensemble Theatre's Permit to Use the Former Coventry School Building Extended

The Cleveland Heights Planning Commission approved a two-year permit for the theater to stay in the former elementary school

The Cleveland Heights Planning Commission has extended the Ensemble Theatre's temporary conditional use permit to occupy the former Coventry School building to two years, according to an article that ran this week in The Sun Press.  The theater has used the former elementary school since January, and requested to have a more permanent situation. The previous temporary permit was up Aug. 30, according to the article.  The theater's lease ends Dec. 31, and it is working with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District, which owns the building, to stretch that as well. It has productions planned for the fall, and is seeking auditions for its upcoming production of Clifford Odets' Waiting for Lefty, according to its website. The …

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VIDEO: Cleveland Sight Center Shows Its New Space in the Former Coventry School

The Cleveland Sight Center had an open house Wednesday

Family Connections and the Cleveland Sight Center moved into the former Coventry School building a few weeks ago, joining the Ensemble Theatre, which made the space its home a several months ago. The Sight Center celebrated its new home with an open house Wednesday. The center's Bright Futures Preschool and education and training facility will be housed there while its building on East 101st Street is renovated. However, Steven Friedman, executive director, hinted that the center may want to make the facility a permanent location at a meeting about the reuse of the former elementary school. Check out our video of the new space, and follow the links above for details about the new tenants. Parents interested in enrolling their 3- to 5-year-…

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Residents Hear More About Coventry School Reuse Plans

About 30 people attended a meeting Thursday night hosted by the Cleveland Heights-University Heights School DIstrict to hear from current and future tenants

The Cleveland Heights-University Heights School District hosted a meeting at the former Coventry School Thursday night to give residents the opportunity to hear from current and future tenants about plans for the building.  Representatives from the Ensemble Theatre, Family Connections, The Cleveland Sight Center and The Open Office sat on a panel and talked about their organizations and possible plans for the building, located on 2843 Washington Blvd.  Ensemble Theatre moved to the space in February, and most likely will extend its lease, which ends in August, said Steve Shergalis, business services director for the CHUH School District. The Cleveland Sight Center and Family Connections will join Ensemble Theatre in June, and the three …

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Family Connections and Cleveland Sight Center to Move to Former Coventry School

Sight Center training facilities and preschool and Family Connections will share the space with the Ensemble Theatre

The Cleveland Sight Center’s training center and preschool and Family Connections will soon share the former Coventry School with the Ensemble Theatre.   Cleveland Heights City Council approved a $15,000 loan for the Sight Center at its meeting April 20. The center can use the money, which comes from the city's Community Development Block Grant fund, to modify the space to fit its needs, said Richard Wong, planning and development director for the city. The city will forgive the loan if the center creates and maintains at least 12 new full-time jobs for a minimum of one year. People with low or moderate incomes must fill at least 51 percent of the positions. The Sight Center is moving the first week of June for about a year while its space…

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linda jenkins

6:59 pm on Sunday, May 1, 2011

this location was formerly used for the EARLY INTREVENTION CENTER,my family recieved services there ,until they moved to lyndhurst,it is good to hear the CLEVELAND SIGHT CENTER will be at that location,even if it's temporary,i am legally blind,and i receive many services from them   more ›