Private school purchases Walnut Hill Lutheran Church property to construct a new campus

A small parochial school is relocating to a more spacious location on Royal Lane, where Walnut Hill Lutheran Church currently is housed.

This past August, we reported that The Cambridge School planned to purchase the 3.9-acre property at 3202 Royal Lane, although officials had not yet discussed their plans publicly. The land is part of Planning Development District 623, and the zoning needed an amendment to allow for a private school.

Now that the city approved The Cambridge School’s request, construction is a step closer to fruition. The school announced that it purchased the property, listed for sale at $2.7 million, from Walnut Hill Lutheran Church, who is expected to vacate the site within the next nine months.

Three of the buildings on the land then will be demolished, says Emily Eber, director of communications and community development. It’s expected to take a few years before the new school is designed, financed and built.

The Cambridge School shares space with The Village Church at Walnut Hill Lane, so obtaining the real estate gives “Cambridge a permanent home” and room for future growth, Eber wrote in an email to the Advocate.