St. Xavier High School has made a major land play in Finneytown, buying the 16-acre Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science campus at 645 W. North Bend Road for $7.2 million and instantly giving itself room to stretch next door.
The school said Tuesday that it plans to move some offices and staff into the North Bend Road property on a temporary basis while leaders map out a new long-term campus master plan. The purchase of the mortuary school site for about $7.2 million comes as Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science prepares to relocate to Xavier University's Evanston campus, as reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer. Communications director Gavin Vargas told the paper that a specific timeline for the move has not yet been finalized.
About the property
The campus at 645 W. North Bend Road spans 16 acres and houses Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science's clinical labs, restorative-arts studio, and a recently added Educational Cremation Center used for hands-on training. According to the Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science, the institution traces its roots to 1882 and offers both associate and bachelor's programs in mortuary science.
How it ties to Xavier's expansion
Xavier University is in the middle of a growth spurt of its own, building a College of Osteopathic Medicine on its Evanston campus with a targeted first class in 2027, according to the City of Cincinnati. The move by CCMS to Xavier's Evanston campus will pull mortuary training closer to other higher education resources and, in the process, open up the North Bend Road parcel for St. Xavier's short-term space needs.
What comes next
The acquisition gives St. Xavier some breathing room and short-term flexibility as it works on a broader campus plan with a milestone anniversary on the horizon, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer. School leaders say more details will come once the master plan is further developed and as CCMS completes its transition to the Xavier campus.
Neighbors and township officials can expect public filings and community meetings as plans advance. For now, the former mortuary science campus will function as extra workspace and program space while St. Xavier decides how it ultimately wants to reshape its growing Finneytown footprint.
