CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Cuyahoga County is considering a $2 million loan to help transform a former synagogue in Cleveland Heights into a regional hub for visual and performing arts, anchored by Oberlin College’s first satellite campus.
If approved, the funding would support a $52 million transformation of the historic Park Synagogue campus, including preserving the temple dome. The complex is a midcentury modern landmark and one of four synagogues designed by renowned German-Jewish architect Erich Mendelsohn.
Sustainable Communities Associates plans to convert the space into a multiuse arts and education center, with Oberlin College serving as the main tenant for at least the first 10 years. The college has committed to launching new Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts programs at the site, marking its first academic expansion outside Lorain County, Paul Herdeg, the county’s director of development, told council members during a Jan. 12 committee meeting…