Podiatry school on the move ?

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Taken from the Plain Reporter.


"Podiatry school makes tracks to Independence: Clinic to buy Carnegie location for expansion"

Sunday, January 08, 2006 Plain Daily

After about 90 years in Cleveland, the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine is moving to Independence. The foot-doctor school -- which holds classes and treats patients at its Carnegie Avenue clinic -- is buying the old home office of Realty One at Interstates 77 and 480. The school will pay $11.75 million for the 13-acre property and expects to spend $8 million on expansion and renovations. The Cleveland Clinic will buy the school's seven-acre complex along Carnegie Avenue for expansion. The price has not been disclosed. The podiatric school, with 300 students, wants to create a campus atmosphere and install high-tech classrooms in the suburb. A move is at least a year away. The relocation will cost Independence schools about $96,000 yearly in tax money because the medical school, as a nonprofit organization, does not pay real estate taxes. "This is a significant loss to us," said Kathleen Kapusta, school board president. Mayor Fred Ramos, Independence schools Superintendent David Laurenzi and medical school executives have negotiated a deal to make up part of the loss. Ohio Podiatric will donate about $25,000 yearly for 10 years to Independence schools. The local schools estimate the deal might be worth $400,000 after considering other incentives, including a plan to occasionally rent space to the medical school, such as an auditorium. The suburb will not share an estimated $100,000 yearly that will be collected through income taxes from about 100 medical school staffers.
"It's a hit for the schools," said Ramos.
"But we have to look at the question: Is it good for the entire city?"
The plan to use the mostly empty office building for a podiatrist school must be approved by City Council because the space does not meet zoning requirements. Ramos, school officials and others say approval is likely. Originally built as headquarters for a bank, the Realty One building became available when Realty One relocated to downtown Cleveland last year. Ramos said efforts to sell the building to a for-profit corporation, which would not be exempt from real estate taxes, were unsuccessful.
"Do we approve this now or keep it empty longer?" asked Ramos.
The school, known at first as the Ohio College of Chiropody, was founded in a Euclid Avenue building downtown in 1916. It moved to Cornell Road near University Circle about 30 years later. In 1976, the school moved to the Carnegie site. Each move was prompted by expansion, said David Nicolanti, the school's executive vice president. The school was awarded a $1.2 million federal grant and city-owned land to help build at Carnegie. The school may seek public financing to help with the Independence move, said Nicolanti.

 

From the The Sun Courier
College will wait for citys decision
Thursday, February 16, 2006[/quote]INDEPENDENCE _ More than a month ago, the Ohio College of Podiatric Medicine arrived, seeking a new home the Realty One building on Rockside Road.

Representatives from the college were back before City Council this week, hoping to be welcomed into the community. But council members were not ready to vote on a special use permit that would allow the college to locate there, saying they wanted to discuss details further and vote on the issue at next months scheduled meeting.

The college, now on Chester Avenue in Cleveland, has 501(c3 status, meaning it is tax-exempt. That would mean the Independence Schools would not receive about 95,000 a year from that property, should the college relocate to the Realty One building. And that might mean the district would have to cut two teaching positions.

Because of the effect on the school district, the college has offered the district funds and/or services.

For starters, the college offered to forego its tax exemption for the year 2006, pay the schools 25,000 for 10 years, 25,000 for eight years and offer its services one day a week for three years to high school athletic programs. College officials also said they would be willing to work with the citys senior citizens.

The Independence Planning Commission last week passed the colleges request for a special use permit in a 4-1 vote. Vice Mayor Greg Kurtz was the only no vote that evening, and said he will continue to stand by his vote.

Its a matter of fairness, Kurtz said, arguing that, if the college offers to pay for the cost of the two teachers the school district stands to lose, he would be willing to re-consider his vote. Im not trying to be the bad guy. Im just trying to protect our community. [/quote]