Niles Central building, Niles West addition debut just in time for school year

Niles Township High School District 219 in August showcased the final results from a pair of large-scale projects.

District officials unveiled the three-story extension of Niles West High School and debuted Niles Central High School, a brand-new 42,500-square-foot building.

District 219’s board of education in late 2024 approved both projects at a total cost of $53.3 million.

Niles West

Construction on Niles West’s expansion began at the end of 2024. The new three-story addition faces Oakton Street and totals up to be 41,748 square feet, district officials told The Record.

The extension includes four new classrooms, two new labs, two new learning studios and 10 new multipurpose spaces, according to the school’s website. 

A new welcome center and administrative offices sit on the first floor, while the second floor is primarily student service offices. The new Wolf Den student lounge lives on the third floor of the extension.

In addition to the three-story expansion, the school also renovated 13,805 square feet of the existing building. 

Renovation costs at Niles West reached a total of $31.8 million.

Niles Central

Just down the street from Niles West, the district also introduced Niles Central, its brand-new building.

The two-story building contains 16 new classrooms, with both “traditional” classrooms and learning labs.

At 42,500 square feet, the new building is more than triple the previous building’s space, which was about 12,600 square feet. 

The development also included a new parking lot with stormwater management systems and an electric vehicle charger station.

First launched in 1971, Niles Central serves as a special education program to address the intellectual, physical, emotional and social needs of D219 students.

According to the district’s website, the program was first housed in a storefront before later moving to the former Niles East High School building and then to the District 219 administration building.

According to Niles Central’s website, the district used a trauma-informed lens to “thoughtfully and intentionally (choose) the lights, colors, furniture and curved walls to give an organic feel and enhance the therapeutic setting for students.”

The new building cost $21.5 million. 

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