Cleveland health officials say the J. Glen Smith Health Center in Glenville will be torn down to clear land for a new high school, with both the city Department of Public Health and the MetroHealth System planning to move their operations elsewhere in the area.
Dr. David Margolius, the city's health director, briefed City Council's health committee Monday. He said the center, near East 113th Street and St. Clair Avenue, would shut in fall 2027 as demolition begins. The city offers vaccinations, birth control and STI screenings there; MetroHealth provides pediatrics, obstetrics and primary care. Margolius estimated the city sees fewer than 3,000 patients annually, with MetroHealth's volume larger.
MetroHealth has proposed moving to the Eastside Market, a city-owned Glenville grocery store seeking a new operator, a spokesperson said. The city is looking for about 4,000 square feet on the Northeast Side for its own services, Margolius told council. He said relocating to the former Hannah Gibbons Elementary building in Collinwood-Nottingham is under consideration.
Council members Kevin Conwell and Michael Polensek raised concerns about access to care. Polensek said he was "mortified" by the demolition plan and said he uses the center for vaccinations. Margolius said MetroHealth is "not going anywhere" from Glenville.
The closure is tied to a land swap between the city and the Cleveland Metropolitan School District. Under the deal, already approved by the school board and awaiting a council vote, the district would receive the health center property and land bank parcels, while the city would get two closed West Side schools, Newton D. Baker and Walton. Capital projects director James DeRosa said demolition of Walton is expected to cost about $1.3 million, Baker between $1.3 million and $1.5 million, and the city would also pay to raze J. Glen Smith. Cleveland is applying to the Cuyahoga Land Bank for grant funding, he said.