Though Notre Dame College shuttered the doors to its South Euclid campus after its spring semester, city officials still don’t know what the fate of the 50-acre campus could look like.
“South Euclid’s identity has always been as a college town,” Keith Benjamin, the city’s community services and development director, told Signal Cleveland. “So, to not have Notre Dame College as part of the fabric of our community has been a big change.”
To be clear, South Euclid has no real role in any decision, according to Benjamin. That falls to the college’s creditors at the Bank of America.
Still, though, Benjamin said that as a courtesy city officials have met with several groups with an interest in the property. Any role the city would play would ramp up if and when a deal is made between the creditors and developers and various permits get filed, he said.
Among those the city met were housing and mixed-use developers, as well as a Orthodox Jewish Yeshiva, or religious school.
Backers behind a push to get the National Women’s Soccer League to Cleveland also put a bid in for the site to serve as its headquarters. Though Cleveland was one of three finalists, the league recently reportedly chose Denver.
Notre Dame campus remains quiet
In January, Signal Cleveland broke the news that Cleveland State University was in talks to “potentially absorb” Notre Dame. No deal materialized. Neither did a reported push from Notre Dame supporters to help settle their debts.
For now, though, not much is happening. Benjamin said the college still pays for a contractor to maintain the grounds. The campus serves as a de-facto community space, according to Benjamin, and is a popular walking spot for residents.
“We hope that whoever purchases the property understands the historic nature of it as a college, and, in some way, incorporates the history and the memory of Notre Dame College into their plans,” he said.
Crain’s Cleveland Business reports that while there’s no formal asking price for the property, Cuyahoga County estimates the property has a market value of $30 million.
