Published: March 06, 2007 11:59 am      

Things Are Looking Up

Developer has plans for former school

CUMBERLAND - Easily visible from westbound Interstate 68, it's become a landmark of sorts, but not one city officials want their town known for necessarily.

Closed in 1984 and boarded up for decades since, the former East Side School may soon find laughter and noise within its hallways once again.

Al Borvice of the Housing Development and Neighborhood Preservation Corp., based in San Francisco, said Monday that he's looking forward to turning an area of blight into one of beauty. The site, he said, is conducive to mixed use rehabilitation and he plans to turn the school into 25 units and about 30 townhouses.

Although only in the design phase, Borvice said the project is estimated to cost nearly $8 million.

He said the company had been looking for sites in Maryland and originally he looked at the former Peskin building in the city's Town Centre. The building wouldn't work for what the developer had in mind but once he saw the former school, he knew it was something that would work.

Borvice worked with Terry McKenzie of Century 21 to purchase the building.

"I think it's going to be a nice project. ... ," Borvice said. "We're excited about it."

He's also seeking the city's support in applying for the state's Community Development Association Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program.

Officials will vote whether to endorse the project today at their 7:30 p.m. public meeting at City Hall.

City Administrator Jeff Repp said the project has not come before the Municipal Planning and Zoning Commission, but the proposal is consistent with zoning in the neighborhood.

The state program is one that's benefited other developers when they've come to the Queen City, including PIRHL Inc. of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, which recently received $6.2 million to construct Gateway Town Homes here. Of those units, 26 will be on Fourth Street, across from The Cascades, an apartment complex that was built following a funding award from the tax credit program. The other four Gateway homes will be built at the intersection of Oldtown Road and Wempe Drive.

Funding is awarded on a competitive basis with proposed projects receiving points based on a number of specifications. A letter of endorsement from the city is required for the application.

Borvice said the intent is to apply for the program this month with the hope to be awarded between $5.5 million and $6 million by June.

"If we're really lucky and able to get that, we could start construction around September," he said, noting that the remaining $2 million for the project will come from private funds.

Once construction begins, it's expected to take a year to 18 months to complete.

The Maryland Department of Assessments and Taxation lists the sale price for 100 Reynolds St. at $275,000 to Potomac Economic Development and Housing Corp. The 1921 structure consists of 20,967 square feet and sits on 2.48 acres.

The city's agenda is available at www.ci.cumberland.md.us.

Maria Smith can be reached at msmith@times-news.com.

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