A vacant elementary school building in Louisville's Russell neighborhood could soon get a second life as housing, under a $2.5 million proposal from the Louisville Urban League to buy the former Roosevelt-Perry Elementary School property from Jefferson County Public Schools. After classes stopped there, Grace James Academy temporarily moved into the building; it was vacant for the 2026-2027 school year. The nonprofit says it envisions a mixed-use development including residential units on the land.
The proposed sale is still in its early stages, according to Spectrum News 1, which reported on the Urban League's interest in the property. Louisville Urban League President and CEO Lyndon Pryor said the building is considered at the end of its usual life, and the organization has submitted a formal letter of intent to purchase it. The nonprofit says it has received positive feedback on the proposal from the school district, potential partners, state officials, and the governor's office, though it still needs to secure funding and does not know how quickly the sale process will move.
Jefferson County Public Schools has said it is too early to comment on a possible sale. But paperwork shows the district has already taken steps in that direction: the Jefferson County Board of Education voted on January 20, 2026, that it no longer needed the property for educational purposes and approved disposing of it. The proposal remains in its early stages.
A Long Road Through State Approval Still Remains
Even with a superintendent's recommendation in hand, the deal is far from done. Under Kentucky administrative regulation 702 KAR 4:090, school-property sales involve surplus-property and state-approval requirements. That state-level process helps explain why, even after the local board's surplus vote, a sale isn't guaranteed to close quickly.
The school building itself has a layered history. It opened as Perry Elementary School in 1959 and was later renamed Roosevelt-Perry Elementary after merging with Roosevelt Elementary in 1980. The school closed in 2021, and Grace James Academy temporarily moved into the building that same year before the structure sat vacant for the 2026-2027 school year, according to Spectrum News 1's reporting.
Honoring A Pioneering Black Educator's Legacy
The school's name honors Dr. William H. Perry Sr., a noted Black educator who served as principal of Western Elementary from 1891 to 1927 and became the first African American physician licensed by the Kentucky State Board of Medical Examiners in 1908, according to the Notable Kentucky African Americans Database.
The Louisville Urban League already has a track record building housing nearby. In August 2025, the organization and nonprofit partner REBOUND Inc. completed The Richmond, a $4.3 million, 15-unit affordable housing development at 1622 W. Market St. in Russell, as reported by Louisville Business First. REBOUND also works on housing in West Louisville.
The Push for More Housing in Russell
The push for more housing in Russell comes as Louisville faces a shortage of about 36,000 affordable homes, per a 2024 city assessment cited in Spectrum News 1's report.
Future Development Remains Uncertain
Any future development on the Roosevelt-Perry site remains uncertain as the Urban League works to secure funding before a sale can move forward.
For now, the Urban League, which provides business, education, health, and housing services and advocacy for underserved and minority populations, is focused on lining up financing before the sale can move forward. Jerico Johnson, who supports more housing options and resources in the neighborhood, is among those backing the plan, according to Spectrum News 1's reporting. The organization still needs to secure funding, and it says it does not yet know how quickly the broader sale process will move through the remaining school board and state approvals.
