Signal Cleveland has been digging into what happened after Chicago closed 50 public schools more than a decade ago. It’s an issue that Cleveland is wrestling with as it plans to close 18 buildings at the end of the school year.

In Chicago, many of the buildings were sold, but fewer than half are back in use in ways that benefit their communities. There are examples of success too, like a job training center that has dramatically improved the quality of life in one community. The question of what worked in one case and what failed in another led us to Kansas City, where the school district has received national recognition for its innovative and effective building reuse process. 

Below are lessons, drawn from both cities. They came from talking to people who bought the buildings, like Ghian Foreman and Karen Allen. From architects and community organizers who shepherded new construction projects, like Max Komnenich and Natalie Goodin. And from district officials in Kansas City, like Jesse Lange and residents who live near the buildings, like Angie Lile.  

Read more in this series

Transforming closed schools won’t be easy. Just as Chicago

What’s possible? How Cleveland has reused former schools

Create an overarching strategy for how to use the buildings being closed

Leaving the fate of each building to developers doesn’t allow for consistency or accountability. Chicago developer Ghian Foreman suggests a process that doesn’t focus on making a sale and instead asks: “How is this going to impact the community overall?” 

That was something nonprofits did in Chicago’s Austin neighborhood. They built the redevelopment of an elementary school into an overarching community organizing effort around improving quality of life in the neighborhood. That choice created community buy-in and made fundraising easier. 

Consider reinvesting money from desirable properties that sell quickly into a fund to help repurpose schools in neighborhoods where investments are more challenging

This was recommended to leaders in Chicago, but they didn’t follow through on it. To this day, vacant buildings are concentrated in already-distressed neighborhoods, which makes them more challenging to redevelop. But that also means their positive reuses could offer stability and encourage neighborhood revitalization. 

Think outside the box on how to keep buildings active

Chicago and Kansas City have found some success in getting creative with leasing and financing options. 

In Chicago, a number of buildings have been reused with relatively few renovations — keeping costs down and allowing new stewards to focus on providing services to the community. There are also buyers who, despite struggling to finish their redevelopment projects, have allowed community members to continue using the gyms and outdoor spaces of these buildings. 

In Kansas City, the district worked with community groups on creative lease-to-sale agreements. For example, in one arrangement, the district counted rent payments and volunteer tutoring hours in Kansas schools toward the purchase price.

Designate a single entity, office or person to lead and track the building reuse process –  and to be a contact for the community

Kansas City Schools have a single office that handles repurposing and selling buildings. It has a transparent website that tracks the status of every closed building. There the community can find submitted proposals, community feedback and surveys. The office also engages with residents on possible uses for the buildings and is a point of contact for issues such as vandalism.

Consider putting buildings up for sale in phases instead of flooding the market all at once

Kansas City did this in neighborhoods with significant blight or vacancy rates so they could focus on those challenges and work out potential tax incentives or creative financing on a case-by-case basis. 

Use clawbacks if a planned development falls through

Developers and community members mentioned that deals fell through or planned reuses didn’t pan out, leaving buildings vacant. Residents wished the school district had a way to hold purchasers accountable or to return a given property to the district if plans fall through. 

Require community benefits agreements as a part of building purchases 

Kansas City started requiring community benefits agreements — legally binding contracts where a developer agrees to provide the community with certain amenities — as a part of any sale. One example?  A project that turned a school into senior housing also included the creation of a fund for neighbors to use for home repairs. Lange said this requirement means that communities can continue to get a “long-term benefit from the site.”

Offer opportunities to mourn these schools 

Schools mean a lot to people, and they want the physical buildings to be treated with care and respect because of the history and memories they hold. That’s something Signal Cleveland heard over and over again from former students, teachers and neighbors of these properties. In Kansas City, the district offered community members a chance to walk through and honor a building, which let communities move forward with more positive feelings.