After four turbulent months of community debate and classroom dislocation, Renaissance Academy is planning to vacate the 881 Alma Real building at the end of the school year in June. The new charter high school is currently engaged in settlement talks with landlord Greg Schem, who leases Renaissance about 13,600 sq. ft. of space spread over two floors. ‘We’re very close to a settlement,’ Scott Adler, RA’s contractor and board member, told the Palisadian-Post Tuesday. ‘Assuming we reach a resolution, that would also assume an agreement on the part of Renaissance that we would not be there [on Alma Real] in June.’ The battle between the school and landlord began last September, after just three days of classes, when Schem gave Renaissance a notice of termination of the lease effective June 2005. Renaissance, which has an enrollment of 320 students in grades 9 through 12, filed a civil lawsuit against Village Real Estate, LLC (owner of the building) November 12 in an attempt to gain more use of its renovated space through June. Village Real Estate responded to the lawsuit January 5, and Schem told the Post last Thursday, ‘We have countersued for fraudulent inducement and for actual damages.’ By ‘actual damages’ he was referring to ‘the loss of a sale that was in progress [when the school moved in],’ among other things. However, Schem added that the owners also gave Renaissance a settlement option which, he said, ‘I think they’ve found more interesting.’ According to Schem, the general terms of the settlement option are that the school must vacate the building in June, giving back space which includes ground-level suite 114 (currently restricted to office use) and terrace level suites T-8 and T-9. Renaissance has not completed renovations in the 1,000 square feet of space in T-9, where initial construction was halted last August when black mold was discovered. ‘We’ve not received approval yet to finish the T-9 space; that’s part of settlement discussions,’ Adler said. Also part of the settlement option are ‘a number of conditions for [Renaissance] to adhere to,’ Schem said, explaining that he means ‘stuff they’ve said they would adhere to all along but now we’re saying we’re going to enforce.’ The list of conditions includes an absolute ban on students parking on neighboring residential streets and a prohibition against students gathering in the atrium and elevators of the building. Adler said that Renaissance has not been able to increase use of its ground floor space, and has been allowing a maximum of 175 students to occupy the terrace level. To date, the Los Angeles Department of Building and Safety has stipulated that only 89 students may occupy the four permitted classrooms of the eight built in suite T-8. ‘We need to learn how to get along better so our other tenants want to stay,’ Schem said of his relationship with Renaissance. Adler confirmed that the school has been looking into other possible school sites for the 2005-06 school year but would not reveal the locations. Currently, students attend classes at Aldersgate Retreat Center and the YMCA in addition to the Alma Real building. ‘We hope the LAUSD will provide us with a campus,’ he said, adding that ‘the Palisades would be our first choice.’ Renaissance sued Los Angeles Unified School District last year when the District refused its request for space on the Palisades Charter High School campus; a hearing is scheduled for February 10. ‘We expect that we’ll either prevail in the lawsuit [with LAUSD] or end up settling with them,’ Adler said. Either way, ‘we have resolved that we will not be in the Alma Real building next year.’ Schem thinks this is for the best. ‘They need to be in a space that’s proper,’ he said.
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