Loyola Blakefield High School is planning a $17 million renovation and expansion for its Towson campus, a project that uses financing that Baltimore County helped to secure.
The 158-year-old Catholic school for about 900 boys in grades six through 12 expects to begin work in January to restore three academic buildings on its 33-acre Chestnut Avenue property, its home since 1941, when its original downtown location closed.
The Baltimore County Council authorized the issuance of tax-exempt revenue bonds earlier this month to finance the project. The county incurs no liability under the financing plan. Loyola will repay the principal and interest on the 30-year bonds, as well as any costs incurred with their issuance, sale, delivery and administration.
The plan calls for interior and exterior restoration including upgrades to mechanical, electrical, plumbing and technology systems in Wheeler, Xavier and Sheridan halls. The school will also build a 9,500-square-foot addition to Wheeler Hall that will include a disabled-accessible entrance, elevator, stairwell and new classrooms.
Xavier Hall will be redesigned to maximize space for administrative offices and middle school classrooms. In the last phase of the project, Xavier and Sheridan halls will be connected by another addition which will house science labs, multi-purpose rooms, a reading area and a new entrance for the middle school students. The high school does not plan to use the expansion to enroll more students.
The private school, which overlooks North Charles Street, employs 158 people with an annual payroll of about $8.5 million.