Repurposed as new student housing, tours will be given of The Tower during Party In The Park July 14-16 On April 27, 2023, a ceremonial groundbreaking was held with representatives from Lake Erie College and the City of Painesville, as well as property developers Renew Partners of Montville and JCI Contractors from Ashtabula. The city has planned $1 million to fund streetscape improvements around the property as a welcome to downtown’s newest residents.

In 2020, Downtown Painesville was placed on the National Register of Historic Places, the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. The former Chase Bank building on Painesville Square was included in that designation. Crews from Renew Partners LLC of Montville, Ohio have been hard at work in the last few months adapting the building for its innovative new use as housing for Lake Erie College students.

The building has officially been renamed The Tower. Tours of The Tower will be offered July 14-15-16, from 4 – 6 PM, as part of the Party in the Park schedule of activities.

Designed by LDA Architects and opening August 23, this $17 million project preserves the building’s historic exterior and stylishly re-designs the mid-century modern interior into suites of private rooms for more than 170 LEC students. Suites range from single bed studios to five-bedroom apartments with shared living, kitchens and bathrooms. Amenities include a 2nd-floor state-of-the-art student fitness center and a 4th-floor roof deck overlooking the square. Plans for a full-service restaurant and convenience store are in the works. The building has reserved parking spaces and Laketran will run a free shuttle named StormGo to the campus. The building operations will be part of the Department of Student Life and managed by Renew Partners LLC. Twenty-four hour security will be in place, similar to the College’s on-campus residence halls. Suites in The Tower residence hall are completely assigned for the coming school year. Students will begin to move in on August 23.