PARIS, Ill. (WTWO/WAWV) — In 1909, Paris High School welcomed its first students. In 2021, the building will welcome its first residents.

The old Paris High School closed in 2015 when a new school was built. Laborers Home Development Corporation worked with the city and state to create “Tiger Senior Apartments” with 42 units.

Almost all of the studio, one and two bedroom units are different and contain a unique feature from an antique blackboard, to a tin ceiling, to original cabinets. Much of the original architecture was maintained thanks to a grant from the State Historic Preservation Officer.

“We had to leave everything as it was originally,” property manager, Kara Englum, said. “That’s why you see original hardwood floors, the old characteristics.”

According to the Director of Field Operations for Core Construction, rehabilitating a 100-plus-year-old building presented challenges with the need for an elevator and safety features.

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