$25m plan to create a new private school.

A prominent 100,000 s/f downtown building boasting 30-foot ceilings and Corinthian columns is being transformed in a $25 million project to turn it into a school.

The former Bank of America International Building at 41 Broad St., directly off Wall St., will become the for-profit Claremont Preparatory School and is expected to grow to 1,000 students by 2007. The school will serve students from kindergarten through eighth grade.

The new school is owned by Metropolitan Preschools Inc., which also owns the Aaron School, a midtown special-needs school for preschoolers and those in the early elementary grades. Metropolitan Preschools also owns several preschools throughout the city.

Michael Koffler, president of Metropolitan Preschools, said the building's million renovation is a joint effort.

"It's being renovated in part by the landlord and in part by myself," he said. He has hired Cow Bay Contracting, while the landlord, Walwilhall Associates, LLC, is utilizing in-house help, he said. Metropolitan Preschools has signed a 20-year lease with Walwilhall, with two options to renew for 10 years each.

Koffler said. "We've discovered it will be the largest private K-8 nonsectarian school that serves Manhattan and Brooklyn."

The school's kitchen facilities will be situated in the former bank's vaults and the surrounding area in the 7,000 s/f banking hall will be cafeteria space. The hall contains 10 Corinthian columns covered by mosaics.

The bank hall walls are covered by a mural depicting antique methods of shipping, which will be restored along with the original bank vault doors and casing.

"It will look like it's new," Koffler said.