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Memphis

Collective Blueprint Filed Permit for Northside Square Office

The nonprofit organization plans to move its headquarters into a space at the historic Northside High School site.

Updated on Sept. 28, 2026 in Remote Work

Isometric editorial illustration of a historic brick school building facade with modern steel architectural elements, representing an adaptive reuse office project.
Collective Blueprint has filed a permit to relocate its headquarters to the redeveloped Northside High School site in Memphis. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Nonprofit organization Collective Blueprint has filed a commercial alteration permit to establish a new office at Northside Square. The proposed space spans 8,803 square feet within the redeveloped school site.

Why it matters

This move represents a significant relocation for the nonprofit, which currently operates from the Crosstown Concourse. It also marks a new phase in the adaptive reuse of the historic building, which has been transformed as part of an $82 million project.

The project involves an estimated construction cost of $1.15 million for the new 8,803-square-foot office. The broader Northside Square development represents a total investment of $82 million and includes 42 affordable housing units.

The players

Collective Blueprint

A nonprofit organization that currently maintains operations out of the Crosstown Concourse in Midtown Memphis.

Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development

The local government agency responsible for reviewing and processing commercial alteration permits within the region.

The details

The permit was filed with the Memphis and Shelby County Division of Planning and Development for the address at 1212 Vollintine Avenue. This project reuses the former Northside High School, which closed in 2016 due to declining enrollment before developers acquired the site in 2021.

Timeline

  1. 1966: Northside High School opened at the current site.

  2. 2016: The school closed its doors due to declining enrollment.

  3. 2021: Developers acquired the property for redevelopment.

  4. January 2026: Northside Square held an official ribbon-cutting ceremony.

  5. September 18, 2026: Collective Blueprint filed the commercial alteration permit.

Market Landscape

The adaptive reuse of the former high school reflects a broader trend of repurposing vacant educational infrastructure into mixed-use commercial and residential hubs. This project positions Northside Square as a cornerstone of neighborhood revitalization, competing with other major redevelopment projects in Memphis.

Local residents may see increased activity at the Vollintine Avenue site as construction proceeds on the new office space. This continued development at Northside Square further integrates office functions alongside the existing affordable housing units in the neighborhood.

The takeaway

The transformation of the former high school underscores how repurposed community assets can provide new space for mission-driven organizations. Local businesses and nonprofits looking for future expansion may look to similar adaptive reuse projects as potential high-value locations.

Further reading

For more on the evolving workspace landscape, visit the Remote Work section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by The Commercial Appeal.

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