http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130606/NEWS02/706069933
Published June 6, 2013 in the Rutland Herald Springfield Hospital to buy East School By Christian Avard Staff Writer SPRINGFIELD — The Springfield School District has found a willing buyer for East School. The Springfield School Board announced Monday they are selling the building for $100,000 to Springfield Hospital, $50,000 less than the original asking price of $150,000. The two parties have agreed to the sale in principle, but the hospital will need to complete an inspection before they sign an agreement. According to Mark Blanchard of Springfield Medical Care Systems — the parent organization of Springfield Hospital — the hospital will inspect the building for potential lead and asbestos removal and it may need new windows and a heating system. Blanchard said they will determine what they will use the building for once they complete the full inspection. “We’re going through a due diligence phase to see how much it would cost to make the building usable,” Blanchard said in a phone interview Wednesday. “It’s a nice building and a nice piece of property. It has some issues we need to look into, but it’s a starting point.” The East School was built in 1920 and is a two-story, 12,300-square-footbuilding situated on 2½ acres of land on Summer Street. There are remnants of a small school cafeteria in the basement and two 1986 boilers that heated the building from a 10,000-gallon oil tank. A central hall bisects the building and there are large classrooms with old green chalkboards on the first and second floors. There are also smaller rooms that were used for offices by the principal, school nurse and teachers. The school closed years ago but it was used in recent years by the Gateway Program, a therapeutic and academic program for challenged students. Gateway now operates in the Nolin-Murray Center, owned by St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Springfield. Superintendent Zach McLaughlin said he was pleased with the outcome and that the school district is following through with what voters wanted years ago: to dispose of the property and sell it. “I think we did right by selling it off. It’s what the taxpayers wanted us to do,” McLaughlin said. “We did well for the neighborhood. They got a really good tenant to take over the building, someone I’m confident who will do great things with and something that people are going to appreciate.” Susan Smallheer contributed to this report.
now how about doing what the voters wanted done with park st school,i believe they voted at the same time to get rid of park also
ReplyDeletenow will the select board give the hospital tax exempt status so we won't get any tax revenue from them
ReplyDeleteThe town wasn't getting any tax revenue from that building when it was a school.
DeleteAND, I am not really sure there is a long list of people/businesses willing to invest significant sums of money in a piece of property full of asbestos in Springfield, VT that would turn it into a tax generating property.
At least it is out of the school districts hands so they can start to focus on more important items.
are they getting any tax revenue now or just paying to keep the building up and paying for insurance?
ReplyDeleteMy bet is that it will be purposed for their psych patients.
ReplyDeletecut staff but buy up the town ?
ReplyDeleteDid somebody say tax revenue? If there's a way to make a lemon out of lemonade, rest assured that the Town of Springfield will find a way!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the money the school recieved will be reflected on next years school budget?
ReplyDeleteI bet the money they get,they'll dump in to park street school so they can keep having classes and the after school program there and then all the a central office people can stay there,waste of a lot of money for 15 or so people to be in that building,guess none of the school board members cares what the voters say,but we keep passing a budget without taking out the money to keep park street open,take away the money and they will have to close it
ReplyDelete