Close Calls
Jul 1, 2010 12:00 PM, By Paul Erickson
When schools shut down, administrators must decide how to use these landmarks.
Sidebar: An urban example
An urban city school district in the upper Midwest has experienced dramatic enrollment decline, and numerous school properties are for sale or being considered for redevelopment. The district has hired a commercial real-estate agency to craft options for repurposing the buildings or properties. Several of the smaller sites are being considered for senior cooperative housing; the existing buildings would be demolished and multiple units would be built on each site.
On another school property, the real-estate agency has issued a request for proposal to sell or lease and turn the existing school building into a community asset; the district is open to any concept proposal. For several other properties, the district is exploring demolishing buildings and creating open green space for the community. This approach is less expensive because the existing schools are in bad shape and costly to heat. A few school properties sit adjacent to churches that are interested in acquiring the property for expansion. Several school buildings are under lease by charter schools.
Not all properties are up for immediate sale or repurposing because the priority is to develop a strategic facilities plan for the district; the district is evaluating which properties to keep. For example, one building may be razed and a new district headquarters would be constructed to take advantage of its more central location. Also, commercial redevelopment is being considered in selected areas in the city, so the school district is making school properties available in those areas and hopes to partner in the city’s master-plan development.
Erickson, AIA/NCARB/REFP, is president of ATS&R Planners/Architects/Engineers, Minneapolis, a multi-disciplined firm specializing in pre-K to 12 and post-secondary school planning and design. He can be reached at perickson@atsr.com.
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