Apartment project tabled

The Browning Place apartment project has been tabled

The proposed Willoughby apartment complex, The Browning Place, has been tabled per the request of the developer.

“We will mark the conditional use permit public hearing as tabled until a later meeting,” said Steve Norris, chairman of the Willoughby Planning Commission, at a recent virtual meeting. “Many logged in today to make wishes known about this, and I would invite them to come back to the next meeting or whenever that next meeting is that The Browning Place apartments’ conditional use permit if it in fact comes to a public hearing. Everything on that issue will remain tabled per the request of the applicant.”

The proposed plan for the former Browning Elementary School building would include 26 apartment units in total, with 21 units being one-bedroom apartments and six being twobedroom. The rent would range from $1,400 to $1,800, said the developer, Dave Knott, who is also Ward 5 resident in the city.

“The Browning Place will remain as is. There are no additions going onto the school. We’re going to upgrade certain exterior items bringing it back to a much cleaner look and appearance.” — Dave Knott, developer

“We’ve put in a great deal of effort and hard work to come up with a plan to upgrade the entire school,” Knott said. “The Browning Place will remain as is. There are no additions going onto the school. We’re going to upgrade certain exterior items bringing it back to a much cleaner look and appearance.”

The investment into the building restoration will be an upward amount of $3 million, according to Knott. Being that the school is a historical building, exterior

elements will not be changed, but rather enhanced.

Additionally, the apartments would have all new cabinetry, granite counter tops and new flooring. The main corridor would also be revamped and new landscaping would be added around the different parts of the school. Every unit would also have its own washer and dryer, and new appliances.

“The Planning Commission needs to determine if this building is significant and should be saved, and there’s framework around that,” said Mayor Robert Fiala at an earlier meeting in regard to the project.

“It has an environmental assessment statement, the development plan and it has the conditional use permit application,” echoed Darryl Keller, Willoughby’s chief building official. “Eventually it will, if it’s approved, end up at council. Council will be asked to review the EAS.”

Last year, six of Willoughby-Eastlake Schools’ properties were auctioned off, including Browning, which was what once was a neighborhood school. The building was sold for $385,000 and closed more than 25 years ago. It was then leased to the city. When the city opened a new building, they vacated the property.