CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — For months, the fate of the COVENTRY Peace Campus has been in limbo as decisions are finalized. But now, the building and its 12 nonprofits are gaining the official support of the Cleveland Heights City Council.
A quick recap: The nine core nonprofit tenants of the COVENTRY Peace Building failed to extend their 18-month leases by an April deadline.
Those nonprofits include:
- Artful
- Building Bridges
- Cleveland Heights Teacher’s Union
- Coventry PEACE Inc.
- Future Heights
- Grace Communion
- Lake Erie Ink
- Reaching Heights
Three recently signed tenants include:
- People’s Choice Payee Services
- DanceCleveland
- Do Good Day Hub
Coventry PEACE Inc. Board President Krista Hawthorne previously told News 5 that the nine core nonprofits thought they had a six-month renewal notice, and that's why there was a disconnect in renewing.
"The [Heights Libraries] Board... decided to allow a lease extension of six months, July 1 to Dec. 31. After that, the leases renew on a month-to-month basis thereafter until terminated by either party with 60 days’ notice," said the Heights Libraries earlier this year. "The decision about what the future of the Coventry PEACE Building will be has not yet been made and there are no inevitabilities."
Heights Libraries explained there is a problematic ratio between the rent collected from the Coventry PEACE Campus tenants and the necessary repair costs for the venue.
According to Heights Libraries, it collected $149,267 in rent in 2023. However, a March 2024 report by Cresco/Playhouse Square Management, the building’s current manager and real estate agent, finds the former Coventry Elementary School building is in need of slightly over $2.8 million worth of repairs.
Heights Libraries hosted a public meeting in late July to gain taxpayer feedback. More than 100 people flooded the meeting room.
“It is unusual to see all the passion from the neighborhoods getting behind saving Coventry Peace Campus. I think it says a lot,” Cleveland Heights City Council President Tony Cuda said on Tuesday. “I would just say it's unusual to have 160 people show up at a meeting, especially a library board meeting. As a member of the arts community for over 50 years, I really want to be supportive of them. This is their time and need, and I want to be there for them.”
He explained that City Council invited COVENTRY Peace members to speak at the Sept. 3 meeting to better understand the situation.
Cuda confirmed several Cleveland Heights council members are currently working with the city’s Law Director on a resolution for advocacy.
News 5 asked Cuda if advocacy might mean the city taking ownership of the COVENTRY Peace Building. He said, “I don’t see it going that far.”
Hawthorne previously threw out a suggestion that Heights Libraries would take over as owners. But Heights Libraries Director Nancy Levin previously said that’s not possible.
“They would have to at least pay us to replace the money that we've spent on the building, which would be $800,000 give or take. We would have to be made whole, and I don't believe they have the money for that,” she said.
Coventry PEACE and all the tenants have lived up to all of their legal and financial obligations for the building, according to Artful Cleveland Board President Brady Dindia.
We also asked Cuda if the city would allocate funds to the building.
“There are no plans at this time to get involved in a financial way. We're all residents as well as council persons. Several of us see this as a very important time to step up and be supportive,” Cuda said.
Cuda added that while he hasn’t seen the resolution yet, it appears to simply be an extension of support.
“That just confirms what we have known. We have met with five of the seven council people over the past couple of months and they have expressed their support. To have the library tell us the city does not support us was something that was important for everyone to hear that was not the case,” stated Hawthorne.
Despite the repair estimate Heights Libraries gathered, Hawthorne described the building as beautiful and viable.
“It is a solid working building that is being used every day that needs to be updated with normal updates: replacing roofing and updating the HVAC. But this is a very special group of nonprofits who have worked together closely for the last seven years, and we are really mutually supportive of each other,” Hawthorne stated.
Hawthorne said Heights Libraries has not provided any updates on what’s to come with the building.
Heights Libraries’ next board meeting will be September 23. News 5 asked Tuesday night if a decision will be shared publicly at that meeting.
Heights Libraries said the CPC sent the Library a proposal on Monday, Sept. 9, offering to purchase the building for $1. The board will hold an executive session at 6:30 p.m. on September 23 to discuss the proposal (purchase or sale of real estate), then will vote on whether to accept the CPC's offer during the public meeting.
Heights Libraries has not made a decision, yet, on what they wish to do with the building. They are still weighing options, including this latest offer from the CPC.
“The library board is an unelected board and they are making city planning decisions about a community asset and we think that's inappropriate,” Hawthorne said.
Cuda anticipates the Resolution regarding the COVENTRY Peace Campus to be read at the next City Council meeting on Sept. 16.
