Council, Board Respond to Residents Who Want Mosdos at Millikin

Cleveland Heights Mayor Ed Kelley has sent a letter dated Feb. 22 to the Cleveland Heights-University Heights urging members to meet with council and/or residents of the Millikin neighborhood.

The night before at the Cleveland Heights City Council meeting, Kelley said came to share their concerns and comments about the future of the former Millikin School, owned by the CH-UH City School District. This prompted him to send the letter, and some members showed support for the residents. 

Residents said the board would not let them speak at the special board meeting that same night, and that school officials have not been open to negotiation and discussions about Millikin. They'd like Mosdos Ohr Hatorah, a K-12 private Orthodox Jewish school, to move into the building at 1700 Crest Road. .

"The residents of the Millikin neighborhood are very concerned about the future of the Millikin school property ... This neighborhood, like all of our Cleveland Heights neighborhoods, is vital to the stability of our community," Kelley wrote in the letter.

Kelley also said at the meeting he was disappointed that board members wouldn't give residents "10 minutes of their time."

Angee Shaker, communications director for the district, said that public comment is available during the first regular meeting of each month, where Millikin residents spoke in February. The meeting Feb. 21 was a special board work seession.

"The work sessions are structured for the board and administration to focus on specific topics that will inform the board about the work of the district and the role the board will play in carrying out that work," Shaker said.

On Monday, Karen Jones, CH-UH School Board president, sent the board's response to media inquiries about the vacant school.

"Currently, the real estate market is at a historic low, so for the board to place property up for public auction at this time would clearly not be in the best financial interest of the district and, therefore, barring a very compelling reason that would support the public good for the entire Cleveland Heights community, it would be inappropriate to place the property up for sale at this time," Jones wrote.

In 2006, the Millikin property was appraised at $2.4 million. Councilman Jason Stein, whose children attend Mosdos, said that since the market has tanked, the building is likely worth much less, and Mosdos would invest $1 million into it.

But Superintendent Douglas Heuer has said before that the $550,000 price is not adequate, and Jones wrote, "We are hopeful, like everyone else who owns real estate, that the recovering economy will soon impact property values and return them to a truer valuation."

In addition, Jones said the board has responded to Mosdos officials.

"Contrary to statements made by supporters of Mosdos Ohr Hatorah, officals at the BOE have been responsive to their inquiries. Those responses have been made directly to their legal counsel. The board has indicated that the property is currently not on the market for sale, but they are willing to discuss a lease," Jones wrote. "To date there has been no response from either the Mosdos officials or their legal counsel to this offer."

She added that the board has heard that Mosdos officials are discussing financial support from the business community in Solon, and if this is true, "Mosdos officials have been disingenuous in not making this information known ... and we believe a public affirmation or denial is in order."

A business from out of the state is interested in leasing the building, said Howard Thompson, economic development director for the city. If they do move in, it could bring many jobs to the area. Residents have heard it's a call center, but specifics haven't been announced.

But Jones did confirm one thing in her letter.

"Given the fact that many homes in the immediate area are already for sale or abandoned or being rented, it would be difficult for us to consider a sale that included plans for the creation of additional residential units."

Both letters are included with this article.

An earlier version of this article indicated that CH-UH School Board president Karen Jones' statement was a response to Mayor Ed Kelley's letter. It was actually a response to all media inquiries regarding Millikin and Mosdos Ohr Hatorah.