The Urban Community School, at left across West 50th Street, acquired 10 parcels of land at right including several structures along Lorain Avenue (Google). CLICK IMAGES TO ENLARGE THEM.
Sale ends housing developer’s plans
At first glance, the property transaction doesn’t stand out. At less than 1 acre of land, it’s not a big piece of land. And the holding company that purchased the land was created with a unremarkable name the day before the deed transfer was signed.
But it officially ended a proposed housing development and could pay big dividends down the road for the Urban Community School, 4909 Lorain Ave., where Cleveland’s Ohio City and Detroit-Shoreway neighborhoods meet. The school has been growing rapidly in recent years.
The acquisition of 10 parcels totaling 0.75 acres of land by 5001 Lorain Holdings LLC, a school-owned affiliate that was aided by an anonymous benefactor on behalf of the K-8 private school. The land sets south of Lorain, between West 50th and 52nd streets.
“I don’t have a clear plan yet for that land,” said Urban Community School President Tom Gill. “We already own a substantial portion of the block to the south. It just made sense to gather the adjacent properties given our growth. I’m sure it would have a use at some point.”
Gill declined to name the benefactor or the purchase price. The land was acquired June 12 through a quit-claim deed transfer so Cuyahoga County property records do not reveal the amount either.
Properties owned and recently acquired by Urban Community School and its partners are shown here along the diagonally aligned Lorain Avenue on Cleveland’s West Side (MyPlace-CuyahogaCounty).
Although the purchase was carried out under the name of the holding company, Gill said the land will be transferred into the school’s name soon. Urban Community School has amassed 16 acres of land for its campus which hosts about 800 students.
“We have some very good philanthropic support,” Gill added. “This purchase continues that philanthropy which is much appreciated.”
The prior owner of the newly acquired site, an affiliate of Cleveland-based My Place Group, opted not to go forward with its plans to build 50 West, a mixed-use development. It would have offered 115 apartments, 3,600 square feet of retail space and 89 indoor parking spaces.
My Place apparently is still going forward with another mixed-use development nearby, 45 West, located farther east along Lorain. Company President Chad Kertesz did not respond to an e-mail seeking more information prior to publication of this article.
Urban Community School, like My Place Group before, plans to retain the two-story historic brick building at the southwest corner of Lorain and West 50th. The building is vacant but most recently held the offices of a business consulting firm.
Urban Community School’s campus extends east along Lorain Avenue from West 50th Street, including MetroHealth’s Ohio City Health Center in the distance (Google).
The fate of a two-story historic brick building next door is less certain, although there are no plans to raze it at this time. The same cannot be said for a house at 2010 West 50th. Gill said the school will likely request a permit from the city in August to demolish it.
Also, the property acquisitions put the school in a position to acquire two city land bank parcels totaling 0.265 acres at the southeast corner of Lorain and West 52nd.
The newly acquired land surrounds the land bank lots. The city usually gives neighboring property owners first crack at acquiring land bank properties.
Remaining in that block are only two small, occupied, residential parcels that the Urban Community School does not directly own or control through affiliates.
Just to the west of this latest property acquisition, at Lorain and West 53rd Street, is a planned affordable housing development tentatively called Lorain West. It would demolish a car dealership and a 19th-century mixed-use structure.
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