Senior housing project in sight for the Pearl/Sprague site in Middleburg Heights

MIDDLEBURG HEIGHTS, Ohio — A 50-unit, three-story, detached seniors’ residence has been proposed for an undeveloped property at the corner of Pearl and Sprague Roads in Middleburg Heights.

Pete Schwiegeraht, MVAH Partners senior vice president of development for the Midwest region, presented concept drawings to the Middleburg Heights zoning committee at its Jan. 10 meeting. The total project investment would be around $13 million, he said.

MVAH submitted an application in November 2021 to have the 5-acre parcel rezoned for a seniors’ residence.

“It’s a difficult site in a floodplain and it will be difficult to develop,” Schwiegeraht acknowledged. “But we think we’ve found a way to use it. We want to preserve a large part of the site and the wooded areas.

Schwiegeraht explained that his business focuses on conventional apartments, as well as housing for seniors aged 55 and over.

“We offer independent living for seniors in Middleburg Heights,” he said. “We have residents aged 78 to 80 on average in this type of development. We do not (provide) assisted care or nursing care.

“We really appeal to people who are moving out of their homes and need to downsize and simplify their lifestyle,” he added, later telling cleveland.com that all of his current seniors developments are fully occupied. and have waiting lists.

A full-time manager and a full-time service technician would be based in the building. One- and two-bedroom apartments would be offered, with surface parking, in-unit laundry, and an open floor plan. “Oversized” bathrooms would provide ease of access, Schwiegeraht said.

Planned facilities include a community hall for events, a fitness center, a theater room and a business center. He said a ‘100ft undisturbed wooded buffer zone’ would be preserved at the site to protect two nearby homes.

One-bedroom units would cover around 700 square feet; two-bedroom apartments, 900 square feet. Schwiegeraht estimated the monthly rent for a one-bedroom unit between $700 and $750. Apartments with two bedrooms would cost between $800 and $850 per month.

The low rental charges are attributable to “funding of the tax credit by the state”, Schwiegeraht said.

“If we use the tax credits, (the state) forces us to keep the units at an affordable level,” Schwiegeraht explained. “While we use these tax credits…we have no involvement from HUD (U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development) or Section 8 (low-income housing). There is no rent subsidy. Our residents pay their own rent.

He said MVAH has the vacant property under contract.

Committee members said they would consider the company’s rezoning request for possible future discussions.

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