School buying another building

April 25, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

Potential Development buying former Anthem site on Market Street

YOUNGSTOWN

Potential Development, a charter school for autistic children, is in the process of buying the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield building at 2400 Market St., the agency’s executive director said Monday.

“It’s a solid building. It’s been very well-maintained,” and is suitable for “spacious classrooms” to accommodate the school’s growth, said Paul J. Garchar Jr., Potential Development’s executive director.

“It would give us a nice presence on Market Street. The visibility there is very good,” Garchar added.

A purchase agreement is in place, and Potential Development has made a down payment, but the sale has not closed yet, said Garchar, who declined to disclose the purchase price for the two-story building that contains almost 36,000 square feet.

The agency plans to convert the building to school use no later than September 2018, he said.

Jeff Blunt, an Anthem spokesman, had not responded to a series of Vindicator questions about the transaction by the close of business on Monday, except to say: “We’re in no way leaving Youngstown.”

Potential Development operates segments of its school in three South Side locations – a 40-student preschool and headquarters at 209 W. Woodland Ave.; a 58-student elementary school at 880 E. Indianola Ave.; and a 56-student high school at 2405 Market St.

The agency plans to keep the high school in its current location, but move the elementary school to 2400 Market St. and the preschool to the Indianola Avenue building, with the agency’s headquarters likely moving to 2405 Market St., Garchar said.

The agency’s board is considering its options for the Woodland building after the agency vacates it, he added.

Potential Development bought the building at 2405 Market St. from Anthem for $255,000 in 2013.

That was two years after Anthem announced the layoff of about 50 employees when it eliminated part of its provider inquiry division that had been in the building, which the company had occupied for more than 50 years.

At that time, the health insurance company said it planned no further layoffs.

“We are committed to the Youngstown community. We aren’t going anywhere,” said Kim Ashley, an Anthem spokeswoman in February 2011.