CMSD to pause construction of Marion Seltzer school in Cudell
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Cudell Commons. Photo: Sam Allard/Axios
The Cleveland Metropolitan School District and Mayor Justin Bibb announced Thursday that they are pausing plans to construct a new Marion Seltzer school in Cudell.
Why it matters: The decision comes after months of neighborhood opposition to the planned K-8 school, which would have required the felling of 30-40 mature trees at Cudell Commons Park.
- The park is also where Tamir Rice was shot and killed by Cleveland police officers in 2014.
Catch up quick: CMSD and the city of Cleveland swapped land parcels in 2021 to give the district the park land surrounding the current Marion Seltzer school, built in 1972.
- Neighbors told Axios that they had a chance to weigh in during a community engagement phase, but that planning largely occurred during COVID-19 without their knowledge and input.
- They filed a lawsuit in September seeking a temporary restraining order to halt construction.
The intrigue: The CMSD school board voted last week to place a significant operating levy on the 2024 ballot, and Cudell neighbors, who have organized under the banner Friends of Cudell Commons Park, planned to campaign against it due to the Seltzer dispute.
What they're saying: "While this decision did not come easily, we understand the importance of intentionally planning a rebuild that benefits all members of the community," CMSD CEO Warren Morgan said in a statement.
- "With that in mind, we will continue to honor Tamir Rice's legacy and memory, and ensure our scholars have 21st-century learning spaces while evaluating the impact on green spaces and the environment."
The other side: The Friends of Cudell Commons Park issued a statement Thursday applauding CMSD's decision.
- "We welcome the opportunity to to redesign Marion C. Seltzer so that it may optimize the educational opportunities and wellbeing of students and the larger Cudell community while preserving the historic Cudell Commons Park for many generations to come."
What's next: Neighbors told Axios that Thursday's decision has changed their position on the November levy.
- "We support our public schools and especially the students who attend them," Cudell resident Nikki Hudson said. "We have never been against the building of a new school. We just didn't want it to happen at the expense of Cudell Park."