Cleveland restaurateur Tony George was the winning bidder in the auction Thursday for the historic First United Methodist Church at E. 30th & Euclid Avenue in Cleveland.
George, founder of the Harry Buffalo chain, placing the top bid of $445,000 for the church built in 1905. Bidding started at $250,000 on the property that was once listed on the market for $1.7 million.
George, whose family Corporate Management Group owns Barley House, TownHall and Crop among others, tells News 5 he plans to make the church into a banquet facility.
“We’re leaving all of the stained glass windows in place, we’re leaving all of the walls in place,” George said of the iconic church. “We’re just going to level the floor and we’re going to make it a banquet facility.”
The property consists of the 24,000 square foot church and sanctuary on two floors and a 28,000 square foot school on four floors along with a fenced parking lot and is already equipped with a full kitchen.
“The administration building we’re going to turn into offices,” George said of the school.
“This is a jewel,” George said after signing the papers. “I was born and raised in Cleveland, Cleveland is on a resurgence. I think this is one of the most iconic, historic, beautiful buildings in Cleveland. I didn’t want it to go to a developer that was going to tear it down. My family is committed to Cleveland and we always have been.”
George said he’s come across five or six unique properties that may have fit the bill for the expansion of his business “but I think this is the jewel of Cleveland,” he said. “We’re going to take tender loving care of it.”
The church, which is on the National Register of Historic Places, has been empty since 2014 after the congregation merged with Epworth-Euclid United Methodist Church into their University Circle building to form University Circle United Methodist Church.
