May 22, 2017 -- The Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District has agreed to partner with the City of Cleveland Heights on the sale of the Coventry School site. The School District will sell the property to the City once City officials identify a developer for the site.
“We are excited that the City of Cleveland Heights has stepped forward to lead the efforts in redeveloping the Coventry site,” said CH-UH Superintendent Dr. Talisa Dixon. “With the amount of repairs needed at Coventry, we knew the time was right to sell the property. However, in light of the District’s relationship with the City, we are hesitant to put the site in the hands of the wrong developer. We want to ensure that whatever the site becomes it adds value to the Coventry neighborhood and the Cleveland Heights community.
“It is very important for the District to work together with the City on this process. It allows the City to lead the economic development of the neighborhood, while giving the District more time and resources to focus on our mission of providing an excellent education for all our students.”
"We are looking forward to creating a redevelopment partnership with the District," said Cleveland Heights City Manager Tanisha Briley. "Cities and school districts across the country and in our own backyard are working together to tackle issues that come along with school closures, and it is clear that outcomes are better when they do so.
"I applaud the District's foresight to partner with us on the Coventry site. Together we can facilitate development that will have a lasting positive impact for the neighborhood and the community."
The District announced its intention to sell the Coventry site on May 10, notifying the 11 current tenants of the building they would be moving to month-to-month leases beginning July 1, 2017. The District and the City will begin meeting with tenants to discuss ways to assist them in finding new space.
The Coventry site, which closed as an elementary school in 2006, is in need of more than $1 million of repairs in the near future, including a completely new roof.
“It’s obvious that the Coventry site and the building are in need of significant repairs in order for it to continue operating,” said Dr. Dixon at the time of the original announcement. “We do not want to invest more money into a site that does not directly impact our students.”