CLEVELAND, Tenn. - The old American Uniform building might have a future with Cleveland City Schools under a proposal presented Wednesday to the Cleveland Board of Education.
Village Investments, owned by businessman Nelson Bowers, is offering the Parker Street building to the school board as potential central office or classroom space.
Other uses for some of the former industrial space could include a wellness and aquatics center or space for city and county planners, officials said.
"It is not the prettiest building in the world, but I think there is a lot of potential here," developer Tom Cate said Wednesday as he led the school board's site committee through the empty, cavernous spaces.
Cate said he has no financial ties to the building but was representing Bowers.
The price of the building was not discussed Wednesday, but Cate said Bowers is open to either selling it or leasing it.
"Bowers is not looking to make a lot of money on it," he said.
BY THE NUMBERS* 14.26 acres - Property size* 280,000 square feet - Building sizeSource: Village Investments
The cost of renovating the building was not discussed, either.
Among the pluses touted by Cate is that the building is central to the school system and to the city.
An apartment complex being built almost within site distance of the plant also will bring more children to city classrooms, he said, and redeveloping old industrial space is cheaper than starting from scratch and could bring federal or state grants.
"We are casting a wide net for potential grants and hope to hear back soon," state Rep. Kevin Brooks, R-Cleveland, said during a walk through the building.
He said he hopes to have more information in two weeks when the site committee meets again.