NORTH TOLEDO

Commission tables YMCA plan to sell building

Charter school needs OK to switch facility’s usage

1/10/2014

After listening to the concerns of North Toledo neighborhood residents, the Toledo Plan Commission on Thursday tabled an application from a charter school to relocate into the YMCA offices at 1500 N. Superior St.

The request for a special use permit from the nonprofit company that operates Horizon Science Academy was deferred to the plan commission's Feb. 13 meeting to give school officials the opportunity to discuss their plans with neighborhood residents.

Ken Fallows, commission member, said the delay was necessary for neighborhood residents to get an understanding of the project.

“I think that we have to pause and make sure everybody has given their full input,” he said.

New Plan Learning, a nonprofit company affiliated with Concept Schools, a charter school management company that runs Horizon, has an option to purchase the 70,000-square-foot YMCA facility pending approval of the special use permit.

The school wants to renovate the second and third floors of the YMCA building that currently house offices into classroom space and relocate its K-8 school in the downtown Secor Building into the property.

Terry Glazer, executive director of United North Inc., a community development corporation, asked that the application be deferred to give residents served by his group and One Village the opportunity to meet with school representatives.

— Mark Reiter