RFP: Old Town Hall Renaissance

Old Town Hall
Renaissance
Request for Concept Proposals
Issue Date: Response Date:
April 20, 2026 June 19, 2026
www.nridgeville.gov/oldtownhall

Introduction and Background
The City of North Ridgeville seeks innovative concepts for the
revitalization of the historic Old Town Hall. The city aims to partner
with a developer to preserve and expand the historic building and
reposition it for a mix of assembly uses, which may include an event
center, food and beverage space and/or civic and cultural activities.
The goal of this Request for Concept Proposals (RFP) is to invite
creative ideas from qualified developers and design teams and to
gauge developer interest in developing this facility in partnership
with the city without requiring financial proposals at this stage.
HISTORY
The Old Town Hall, located at 36119 Center Ridge in North
Ridgeville, was built in 1882-1883 to replace an earlier township hall
from 1840. Designed by Elah Terrell, grandson of local pioneers, the
two-story brick building features Amherst sandstone trim, a slate
roof, and a copper-covered bell tower. The lower floor originally
hosted elections and township business, while the upper floor
served as a meeting and performance space with a stage,
chandeliers and seating for nearly 300.
For more than a century, the building has been a center of local
civic and cultural life, hosting lectures, performances, educational
programs, social events, and community meetings. Notable uses
include early kindergarten classes, Grange meetings, ice cream
socials, spelling bees and patriotic observances, reflecting the
buildings central role in the day-to-day life of North Ridgeville
residents.
In 1960, as North Ridgeville grew, city offices expanded into the first
floor. The building was added to the National Register of Historic
Places in 1975, after which city offices moved to a new City Hall.
From the mid-1970s until 2023, the Olde Towne Hall Players used the
second-floor opera house for productions, and the North Ridgeville
Historical Society operated a museum on the first floor, sharing the
buildings historic and cultural value with the community.
3

REPAIRS & FUTURE PLANNING
In 2023, after a thorough existing conditions inspection, the building
was closed for safety reasons, and both organizations vacated the
premises. The city promptly undertook a series of actions to address
safety, accessibility and building envelope concerns. These included
an existing conditions inspection, engagement of an architect to
plan repairs and subsequent repair work addressing roofing,
painting, electrical, HVAC/plumbing and interior
demolition/cleanup, totaling approximately $180,000. The repairs
were completed in June 2024, ensuring the buildings structural
preservation.
Following the completion of these repairs, the city and its
architectural team developed preliminary concept plans to correct
all building code, fire code and accessibility issues while also
considering building additions to improve functionality of the space.
The city is actively exploring grant opportunities and other funding
sources to support the renovation and adaptive reuse of Old Town
Hall. Potential sources include historic preservation tax credits at
the state and federal level, competitive state grants for building
rehabilitation and downtown revitalization, brownfield and
remediation funding and preservation-focused programs from the
Ohio History Connection and other partners. The city intends to
retain ownership of Old Town Hall and may consider a long-term
lease or partnership to support its sustainable redevelopment as a
civic, cultural and economic asset.
4

Site Information & Building Review
SITE INFORMATION
Address: 36119 Center Ridge Road, North Ridgeville, Ohio 44039
PPNs: 07-00-028-103-176, 07-00-028-103-178, 07-00-028-103-188, 07-00-
028-103-069, 07-00-028-103-180, 07-00-028-103-182, 07-00-028-103-184,
07-00-028-103-186
Location: The site is on the southwest corner of Center Ridge Road
(US 20) and Avon Belden Road (SR 83). The site is less than 4 miles
from the Ohio Turnpike, I-480 and SR 10 and 13 miles from
Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE).
Ownership: City of North Ridgeville
Area: Approximately 3.07 acres
Current use: In addition to Old Town Hall, the site contains the citys
2-million-gallon water tower and a small building used as the fire
museum.
Floodplain: The site is not located in the 100-year floodplain.
Adjacent and nearby uses: The site abuts commercial property to
the north and east and residential property to the south and west.
The citys main commercial corridor runs along Center Ridge Road
near Old Town Hall. South Central Park, the North Ridgeville
Branch Library, City Hall and the North Ridgeville Senior Center are
all within one-half mile of the site.
Zoning: The site is a combination of R-2 Multiple Residence District
and B-2 Central Business District.
Utilities: The site is in a developed area and is well served by public
water, sanitary sewer, storm sewer, gas and electric utilities.
Environmental conditions: The city acquired four small parcels
along Center Ridge Road during the road widening project. These
parcels had prior uses involving underground storage tanks. The
city is remediating contamination through the states Abandoned
Gas Station Program.
5

BUILDING REVIEW
Existing Building
Floor Area: 2,760 square feet each floor
Construction Type: 5B Wood Framed
Maximum Occupant Load: 540 standing
Actual Seating Capacity: 100-120
Preferred Use Groups
Assembly for Performing Arts Viewing (A-
1)*
Assembly for Food and Drink Consumption
(A-2)
Museum (A-3)
Additional uses may be considered
*Concept plans were developed based on the most
restrictive use group for code purposes.
Planning & Code Implications
Fire suppression systems required
Elevator required for accessibility
compliance
Additional stair tower recommended for
safety
New restrooms required
Environmental Health
An asbestos and hazardous materials survey has
been completed for the building. The full report
is available on the project webpage for
informational purposes.
6

ABOUT NORTH RIDGEVILLE
North Ridgeville is part of the Greater Cleveland
region, with a growing population, strong incomes
and high homeownership. Its educated workforce and
proximity to major highways and Cleveland Hopkins
International Airport provide a ready audience and
easy access for visitors to Old Town Hall.
City Statistics
23.4 square miles
36,043 population
41 years median age
14,355 housing units
90% owner occupied
Project Support $254,700 median property value
$94,234 median household income
The City of North Ridgeville is
96.2% high school grad or higher
committed to helping make this
34.9% Bachelors degree or higher
project a success. Potential support
may include:
Waiver of permit fees, including Housing & Economic Factors
plan review and inspections
Waiver of water and sewer tap-in
fees
Contribution of any city-allocated Housing starts
state capital funds toward the 2,385 housing starts since 2015
project
1,159 housing starts since 2020
Assistance in identifying and
securing grant funding or other Primary employment sectors
incentives Health care & social assistance
Coordination with city Manufacturing
departments for expedited review
Retail trade
and approvals
Support for public outreach and Labor market
community engagement for Labor force participation: 19,384
project initiatives Unemployment: 3.0% (Dec 2025)
Featuring the project in city
communications, including the
project webpage, city newsletter, Data Sources:
city magazine and social media CensusReporter.org: ACS 2023 5-year
channels City of North Ridgeville
Other non-financial support as Bureau of Labor Statistics
appropriate to facilitate project
success
7

Concept Plans
See Exhibit A for preliminary concept plans.
The preliminary concept plans provide a framework for
Item Estimate adaptive reuse, ensuring the building is safe, accessible and
code-compliant, while supporting the citys broader vision
for the Old Town Hall Renaissance.
Building
$1,762,350
Additions
Key features include the following:
A two-story building addition containing a catering
kitchen, restrooms, elevator, stairs, additional storage
Building
$870,650
Renovations area and accessible entrances
First floor addition 2,769 square feet; total first floor
area 5,529 square feet
Site Work $550,000 Second floor addition 2,599 square feet; total second
floor area 5,359 square feet
First floor assembly area accommodating a wide variety
A/E & Project
$250,000 of potential uses
Admin
Second floor performance and event space with the
original stage and new platforms offering flexible
Contingency $300,000 seating and table configurations
Lobby areas with opportunities for curated displays of
North Ridgeville historical items and memorabilia
Total $3,733,000
Paved parking lot providing 111 spaces with potential for
additional parking along Center Ridge Road
Outdoor event and programming areas to extend activity
Monthly utility cost for the building is
beyond the building
estimated at $10,000 to $15,000.
Future opportunity to repaint water tower, creating a
distinctive and iconic destination
SD1: Proposed Schematic Site Plan
8

Project Goals
Submissions should address one or more of these goals.
Transform the Old Town Hall into a civic, cultural
and economic anchor for North Ridgeville.
Proposals should envision uses and programming
that make the building a hub for community life,
drawing residents and visitors alike, and
supporting local economic activity.
Preserve and celebrate the historic character of
Old Town Hall.
All designs should respect the buildings
architectural features, heritage and cultural
significance, ensuring that any renovations or
additions complement its historic character.
Foster community engagement and ensure
accessibility.
Concepts should create welcoming and inclusive
spaces for people of all ages and abilities,
encouraging participation in civic, cultural and
social activities.
Promote sustainable and adaptable reuse of the
building and surrounding space.
Submissions should consider long-term viability
and flexibility of use, balancing preservation with
functional, resilient and environmentally conscious
design.
Encourage creative, feasible and context-sensitive
development.
Developers are invited to propose imaginative ideas
that fit the building and site context, respond to
community needs and demonstrate practicality in
implementation.
9

Proposal Requirements & Evaluation
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
Developers should submit concept proposals in a single PDF
document to Kim Lieber at klieber@nridgeville.gov by June 19, 2026.
Responses should be clear, concise and focus on your teams vision,
approach and capacity to execute a project like the Old Town Hall
Renaissance. Submissions should emphasize conceptual ideas,
design thinking and community engagement, rather than detailed
financial or construction plans.
A. Letter of Interest
Introduce your development team and describe your
preliminary vision for the Old Town Hall site.
Highlight your overall approach to adaptive reuse, historic
preservation and community activation.
Provide a high-level concept for how your team would activate
both indoor and outdoor spaces, foster civic and cultural
engagement and integrate the site into the surrounding
community.
B. Development Team
Provide an overview of your organization: structure
(corporation, partnership, etc.), principal office location and
years in operation.
Identify key project personnel: names, roles and relevant
experience.
Identify other team members (architects, urban designers,
consultants) if applicable. You do not need to list every potential
team member at this stage, but the submission should
demonstrate the teams experience in successfully assembling
and executing similar projects.
C. Relevant Experience
Describe projects similar in scope or complexity, highlighting
any experience with historic preservation, civic or cultural
spaces or community redevelopment, including public-private
partnerships where applicable.
For each project, provide:
Project name, location and description
Role of your team
Approximate scale or scope (square footage, number of units
or overall budget)
Key outcomes or lessons learned
Optional: images, diagrams or concept sketches to illustrate
your approach
10