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Advantages seen in buying church property
(by Sali McSherry - June 30, 2010)
Advantages seen in buying church property
By SALI McSHERRY
Should Orange Village purchase the former St. Margaret of Hungary Church property adjacent to Village Hall on Lander Road, it would be a win-win situation, architect Jack Bialosky, of Bialosky and Associates in Cleveland, said.
If the village would renovate the church building, which is in good condition and offers flexibility, build a wood pole barn and salt dome, all program functions would be attached to the Village Hall campus, he said. The site is relatively level, and the village would gain 11 acres, Mr. Bialosky said. The site has access to sanitary sewers, and there is space for future expansion.
The site also offers additional park area, a potential event pavilion and parking. As a bonus, Mr. Bialosky said, there potentially is room for police-car storage and secure recycling in a garage that exists on the property. There also is room for a training room, fitness center and records storage, he said.
The existing service-center site at 4160 Lander Road would be significantly more expensive to build on, Mr. Bialosky said. The existing site has a steep grade and no access to sanitary sewers, the existing building is in poor shape, and it lacks proximity to Village Hall, he said.
If the village would build on that site, he said, it would cost about $3.9 million. That includes the cost of the property, which was purchased several years ago for $300,000. In that scenario, it would cost about $870,000 more to build on the site, he said.
Mr. Bialosky said the cost for the church site could be about $3 million, which includes the purchase of the land for $940,000. If the village would give 6 acres of the church site to the community park and sold the land it owns at 4160 and 4170 Lander Road, it could realize even more savings, potentially about $600,000 to $700,000, he said.
Mayor Kathy U. Mulcahy has said it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
Council President Daniel Brown and council members Herbert Braverman, Lisa Perry and Mark Parks Jr. agreed that it is the best plan. Council members Frances Kluter and Mark Bram said the proposal should be on the November ballot for voters to decide.
Councilman Edward Bonk opposed the legislation that would put the proposed purchase on the ballot, because amendments he proposed were not approved by other council members.
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