Officials seek input on redevelopment of Central School property

by Dan Holland

Brecksville officials hosted a public meeting Sept. 28 to discuss development options for the old Central School Property near Brecksville Town Square.

Developers were asked in November to submit a Request for Qualifications to the city’s selection committee, which was to be followed up with a Request for Proposals. Two developers responded with qualification statement submissions: DiGeronimo Companies, of Independence, and United Community Developers of Brecksville.

In April, Mayor Jerry Hruby held a meeting with residents of Old Town – a historic residential section that abuts the Central School property – to discuss the development proposals. In August, city council rejected both proposals, which could have included a mixed-use for the property to include retail/office space and multi-family housing units.

The city acquired the 3.6-acre Central School property, along with a 10.5-acre site on Stadium Drive, in 2019 from the Brecksville-Broadview Heights City School District in exchange for 25 acres of city-owned land on the Blossom Hill property where a new elementary school is under construction and slated to open in the fall of 2022.

Central School closed at the end of the 2018-2019 school year.

“We acquired it for the purpose of seeing the property redeveloped in some way,” Hruby said. “But the city wanted to control what way it would be developed. We didn’t want the schools to put it up for auction, have someone come in, bid on it and end up putting in something that we didn’t think is good for the community.”

Hruby said the city first set out to determine the building’s condition, which included asbestos and structural reviews.

Whether the building is eventually razed or repurposed, the property will require rezoning by voter approval, as it is presently designated for “community facilities” usage.

Melanie Kuzmins, who lives in Old Town, questioned a statement Hruby made during the meeting about not wanting the parcel turned into parkland. She also asked what he felt the general consensus was among Old Town residents.

“What I got out of the meeting with Old Town was single family residential on Arlington Street and maybe a little park area or playground area for the houses that are there,” Hruby replied. “The discussion about 82 was left open as to whether that should be retail of any kind. But primarily, the idea was that it would be single family units that would be similar to Old Town on Arlington Street.”

Kuzmins suggested transforming the property into a community gathering spot.

I think that’s something lacking in Brecksville,” she said. “I think we’re lacking a place for families to gather together as a community.”

Steve Schadler, of Cinnabar Drive, suggested looking into federal tax credit programs to have the school building renovated and repurposed as part of a public/private partnership.

“I think it’s a beautiful entry as you come into town and it would be expensive to repair, and that’s a big concern when it comes to keeping that structure,” he said.

Council member Dominic Caruso said he believes the tax credit plan would require sale of the property.

“We would lose control over how the whole space gets developed, which is what we’ve been trying to avoid all along,” said Caruso.

Joe DiVincenzo, current owner of the historic Knowlton-Bourn House, located adjacent to the Central School property, voiced concerns over increased traffic.

“I’d rather just see it remain as our little Old Town with this [development] being separate for the rest of the community,” he said. “We don’t need the extra traffic.”

Hruby said he appreciated residents’ comments.

“They’re vibrating the same way they did before on the same type of things: concerns about traffic, wanting to keep it single family, maybe a little retail, a small park area, a gathering area,” he said. “Any new ideas will be put on the table as well.” ∞