Tony Tye, Post-Gazette The grand double staircase dresses up the 35-foot-tall main entry of the old Grant School in Bellevue.

By Gretchen McKay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

For the first 18 years of our lives, school evokes emotions ranging from excitement to dread, embarrassment to elation.

But few people spend much time thinking about their school as a building. And it's safe to say that not many pupils -- current or former -- think about actually living in a school, especially one in the suburbs.

Tony Tye, Post-Gazette Lofts in the old Grant School in Bellevue will cost between $165,000 to $370,000. Click photo for larger image. More information An open house will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday at Grant School Lofts, 216 Jefferson Ave., Bellevue. Information: Casey Steiner of Steiner Realty at 412-242-4711. You can view floor plans and artist renderings of the interiors at www.grantschoollofts.com.

That's what makes the Grant School Lofts in Bellevue so much fun.

The old Grant School at the corner of Grant and Jefferson avenues was designed by architect William J. Shaw and opened in September 1905. This grand three-story building once housed as many as 450 students in grades one to six. A large north wing was tacked on in 1933.

Closed for many years, the school has been converted by Grant School Associates into 21 upscale loft-style condominiums. Prices will average about $150 per square foot with a $200 monthly condo fee, or from $165,000 for an 1,020-square-foot unit on the third level to $370,000 for a 2,700-square-foot, multilevel unit. That premium space incorporates the original oak-paneled principal's office as a study or bedroom and is graced with an optional mezzanine loft.

If the prices seem a little, well, lofty for this quiet Ohio River community, that's because they are. The median price of a home in Bellevue in 2005, according to RealStats, was $90,000, and a multifamily Colonial across the street on South Bryant Avenue is listed by Northwood Realty at $104,900.

But Casey Steiner, a partner with Grant School Associates, would argue you're actually getting a pretty good value for the money. For starters, the units feature Eagle windows and all-new mechanical systems, including individual heating and air conditioning. Thanks to a marked absence of walls and hallways (a hallmark of loft design), almost every inch is usable space, and many of the units will have access to private patios. And because it's new construction, buyers get a three-year abatement of county taxes.

It's not the first old Bellevue school converted to condominiums. The old Jackson elementary school at the corner of Jackson and Orchard avenues was renovated as condos in the late '70s and later became the 20-unit Jacksonian School House apartments. But the idea of lofts is just starting to take off in the suburbs, says Mr. Steiner, who was also involved in the development of the 54-unit South Side Lofts on Mary Street in the South Side.

"There's such a demand for this type of space and not just because it's condo living," he says. "People want cool design."

Yet not all loft buyers are "gritty urban" types who wish to live in the city; some empty-nesters and young retirees value safety and green space as much as they do modern design, and count a walkable neighborhood pretty high up on the must-have list. Bellevue, with its quiet, tree-lined residential streets, business district and easy five-mile commute to Downtown, fills the bill on all counts.

The school-as-residence concept is becoming so popular that a few towns over, developer Rick Criscella, owner of Americo General Contractors of Etna, is converting the former Emsworth elementary school, constructed in 1881, into 12 condominiums called Walnut Ridge. The units will have between 1,200 and 1,800 square feet and are being designed by Gerald Lee Morosco Architects. They will be priced between $150,000 and $180,000.

Conversion of the red-brick Grant School building took 18 months, but the project has been much longer in the making. After the Northgate School District closed the school's doors in 1982, it served as the Northgate Grant Community Center, housing a food bank, thrift shop, the Staunton Clinic, a Head Start program, private day-care center and boxing club. The Allegheny Intermediate Unit also used it for an alternate high school program and in its early years, Community College of Allegheny County offered classes there.

The expense of maintenance and upkeep has always been an issue and the building gradually fell into disrepair. In 2004, the district sold the school and its nearly 2 acres to the developers for $175,000.

Mr. Steiner was drawn to the project for several reasons. Like most turn-of-the-century schools, the building was solidly built, had gorgeous high ceilings -- including a few that soared as much as 16 feet -- and boasted extremely large classrooms. In contrast to his former project in the South Side, which involved carving a big box of a building into similarly sized square units, it had a dozen uniquely different layouts.

There were also many architectural details, including built-in bookshelves and coat closets, blackboards, ornate plaster trim and original maple and pine hardwood floors. One of the most stunning is the grand double staircase that dresses up the 35-foot-tall main entry off Jefferson; school children used to line up on the stairs to sing Christmas carols. With three eyebrow windows and blood-red walls, the foyer is every bit as fabulous as the one Rhett Butler carried Scarlett O'Hara up in "Gone With The Wind."

To maintain the building's sense of history and turn-of-the-century charm, many of those features will find their way into the individual units. No. 308, for instance, has all of its original oak trim and maple floors, which have been refinished to a golden honey color. The 1,600-square-foot unit, priced at $240,000, also features two sets of original built-in bookcases in the corners.

This model unit boasts an open floor plan, with few interior walls and a wide-open feel. Seven 9-foot windows assure plenty of natural light and even a partial view of Downtown's tallest skyscrapers. A set of French doors open onto a small wrought-iron balcony overlooking what will eventually be a landscaped yard. A spiral staircase winds its way to a 530-square foot mezzanine loft, which features two distinct areas for bedrooms and a bedroom and study. The ceramic tile master bath is unique in that it's also open to the floor below; "floating" mirrors will be suspended above the double sink vanity.

	Tony Tye, Post-Gazette At the former Grant School in Bellevue, the kitchens come with stainless steel appliances. Throughout the lofts are the original hardwood floors. Click photo for larger image.

The upscale kitchen is tucked beneath a bulkhead and is outfitted with stainless-steel appliances and solid-surface counter tops. Solid cherry cabinets offer a pleasing contrast to the light maple floors. There's also a large closet by the front door and around the corner, a powder room and utility closet with washer and dryer hookups. Additional storage is provided in a private locker in the basement.

Unit 306, offered for $225,000, is a little more traditional. Painted a sunny yellow, with the same honey-colored maple floors, its two bedrooms and two baths are hidden behind traditional walls. The all-white kitchen, however, is completely open to the main living space and features a double sink in a large center island.

The unit's cranberry-colored master bath has a glass-block, walk-in shower with white subway tile walls. The carpeted master bedroom overlooks Grant Avenue and is painted two colors -- light yellow on the bottom and white on the top. But it's the main room of this 1,300-square-foot model unit that draws the most attention. With 12 1/2-foot-high ceilings and seven windows, it feels exceptionally light and airy.

Looking for something a little larger and more dramatic? The project includes four bi-level units ranging in size from about 1,935 to 2,700 square feet. No. 208 has close to 1,000 square feet on the first level and includes an elevated kitchen area overlooking the main room. Two bedrooms and two full baths are on the lower level, and the master bedroom will open onto a private sunken patio enclosed by a wall of glass. Price: $325,000.

Units 210 and 201 are even grander. The first floor of each of these corner residences will feature a large living area, bedroom, full bath and kitchen with 14 1/2-foot coffered ceilings and two floor-to-ceiling built-in bookcases. The lower levels will hold two additional bedrooms and baths and large walk-in closets. Upstairs, via a spiral staircase, 300-square-foot mezzanine lofts provide space for a home office or den. Each unit also includes private patio access and an original paneled office once used by the school's principal and secretary that could be converted into a fourth bedroom or study.

Or maybe you'd rather design something completely different. Each unit can be customized to the buyers' particular taste.

"We know the loft buyer like to make their own decisions," Mr. Steiner says.