English School Buys Historic Hand Building

An international college that teaches English as a second language has bought the Elijah Hand Building, a 99-year-old Orlando building.

Lade International Schools purchased the building for $900,000 to open a school at the West Pine Street site. The Lade International College of Orlando is scheduled to open on Feb. 1 on the building's second floor and part of the first floor.

The school will be the 11th Lado school. Others are in Washington, D.C., Miami, Japan and South Korea. Local residents as well as people from all over the world will be able to take English classes at the school. Orlando was chosen as Lade's fifth U.S. site because of its growing international presence, the college's president, Robert Lade, said in a written statement.

The Hand Building, built in 1905, was renovated in the 1980s and has housed a restaurant and offices. Charles E. Brenner handled the sale of the building. The building has gone through various owners, including G.A. Giordano and Co., which bought it in 1991.