CLEVELAND HEIGHTS, Ohio — Numerous taxpayers feel let down as the Heights Libraries Board decided against the transfer of ownership regarding the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Building Monday night.
The Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus submitted a purchase proposal to the Heights Libraries Board on Sept. 9. The proposal, provided to News 5, makes a request to buy the Coventry Elementary School for a “symbolic” $1.00.
“It's a gesture, so to speak, that libraries, school boards, cities have done for buildings that are in the public purview and are public assets,” Coventry P.E.A.C.E., Inc. Secretary Brady Dindia said.
The proposal claims that Coventry P.E.A.C.E., Inc. has “demonstrated strong financial management as master leaseholder from October 2020 to December 2021.” It further states the P.E.A.C.E. Campus has generated a $40,000+ surplus despite pandemic challenges.
“We have years of experience of managing and operating this building and working together to come up with creative solutions to keep this project going forward. We had an almost full building with more people who had expressed interest in coming on board. All of our financial projections are right on target. We’re rooted in the city, and we want to continue to make this thrive for the community around us. We have a breadth of knowledge between the people who are located here working for these organizations. We have no doubt we are the best suited to run this,” Dindia stated.
The proposal explains that transferring ownership to the P.E.A.C.E. campus would unlock critical funding opportunities, avoid controversy, and align with community desires and strategic goals.
But without a clue of what’s to come, Dindia said it’s hard to secure private donors and grant dollars.
“No funder is going to step up and say, ‘Yeah, I'm willing to fund a project that isn't really a real project yet,’” Dindia added.
City officials from Cleveland Heights and University Heights have publicly staked their support behind the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Campus remaining where it is.
“Cleveland Heights is home to the arts. That's our subtitle. And what's going on in that building is a tremendous lift for all of us. It is the only arts hub that has 12 tenants in it. And we want to see that continue and Nancy Levin (Heights Libraries Director) asked for six months. I would ask the library board to extend the time that the tenants are in there so they can stay longer than December 31st so this can be a good faith effort to work this out together,” Cleveland Heights City Council President Tony Cuda told News 5.
Cuda said he’s looking for a long-term solution. He plans to invite the Heights Libraries Board members on Tuesday for further discussion.
University Heights Mayor Michael Brennan said he, too, would like to sit down with Heights Libraries Board members.
Heights Libraries Board President Vikas Turakhia said that starting Monday, the board will research what may be the best solution for Coventry Elementary School.
“I think it's a good thing that we have some additional time to work with the library, to work with the stakeholders, to work with Coventry Peace tenants to see if there isn't a solution that we can find. I don't want to see us give up before we've tried everything, and I think a solution can be found. If the solution cannot be found, I want to exhaust every possibility before we give up,” Brennan stated.
Brennan also sent the Board members a letter echoing the same sentiment hours before Monday’s meeting.
While the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Building is not located within University Heights, Brennan’s letter states, “University Heights residents funded in part of the construction of Coventry Elementary School.”
The letter goes on to read, “I have long held that the Heights Libraries took this on and at minimum has a responsibility to leave it better than it found it. Displacement or eviction of the tenants and demolition of the building is not better; it is far worse. As an elected official serving the public, serving our shared constituencies, I cannot stand by and watch this happen.”
“To hear we have the support of city government just means we really are establishing a path forward that could be sustainable if everyone is at the table and [we] will be able to reach that many more people because of that,” Dindia said.
More than two hours into Monday night’s Heights Libraries Board meeting, members unanimously passed a Resolution.
The Resolution rejected the $1 proposal.
“The Library Board of Trustees is not considering selling or otherwise conveying the Coventry School Building, to Coventry PEACE, Inc., or otherwise, and intends to maintain ownership of the same at this time.”
News 5 asked Turakhia after the decision what factors ultimately led to the unanimous rejection.
“To just give it to them for a dollar would be a massive loss from money that should be going towards library things,” he said. “The main thing is when we first got the building from the school district, and they transferred it for a symbolic $1. That's very different than what's happening now. Over the years we have put in over $500,000 towards maintaining and upkeep of that building.”
Turakhia added that the Board is looking at every option aside from selling the property.
“There were rumors we were going to vote to demolish the building tonight and that's nowhere near where we are. We passed a resolution tonight to basically study options. And one of the options is what would demolishing include? What would be the cost? What would be environmental factors? We are also looking at possibilities such as repurposing the building or repurposing part of the building,” Turakhia explained.
He said there is no hard deadline for a final decision, adding the Board “wants to get it right.”
“This debate is not about what the organizations do. We all think they are amazing. I teach high school, and I've had students go through programs at Lake Erie Inc. Lots of people in our community are involved in things like Artful and we understand how great the organizations are. This is about the building and the money going into that,” Turakhia said.
“We need to make sure we're talking with each other and not talking at each other or past each other. I know there is some bad blood, some hurt feelings. We need to look at this coolly and calmly and make good decisions. That will be for the benefit of the community in the long run and for the arts and cultural interests here in Cleveland Heights and University Heights,” Brennan said.
News 5 asked Dindia what would happen now that the $1 proposal had been passed up.
“We would continue to work with the [Cleveland Heights] City Council and University Heights to see if there's any room to work with them and if there's any alternative solutions. We're open to solutions. We certainly would welcome ongoing discussions to see if there's another route the library is open to. However, we haven't heard any suggestions from the library. The only other suggestion we have heard from the library is that they would explore demolition of the building,” she said.
The 12 nonprofits residing in the Coventry P.E.A.C.E. Building are currently operating on a six-month lease that expires on Dec. 31.
RELATED: Cleveland Heights nonprofits sign lease extension for Coventry PEACE Building
Dindia said the nonprofits are already looking at other potential locations to move to after that.
We’ll continue to follow through.
