This school could be yours

For sale: Up to a dozen spacious properties with big dining areas, lots of bathrooms, greenspace galore and ... chalkboards.

Attempting to slash millions in debt, Minneapolis public schools is trying to sell most of its closed schools from Shingle Creek in the north to Morris Park in the south.

But in this weakening economy, with a foreclosure crisis and credit crunch, is there really a market for them?

"We hope so," said Steve Liss, the district's operations director. "It's a tough task. If we can find buyers for the majority of them, that would be really good."

The schools have all been shuttered in the past four years, to the dismay of many parents and students. Those that could be sold to the right buyer are Cooper, Holland, Howe, Jordan Park, Lincoln, Morris Park, Northrop, Putnam, Shingle Creek, Tuttle and Willard elementaries and Franklin Middle School. That adds up to more than 2 million square feet of acreage and about 800,000 square feet of buildings.

Prices range between $1 million and $2.5 million for most of the schools built in the early 1900s to more than $3 million alone for Lincoln.

(Note: Did you know that most have built-in exercise facilities? Perfect for large group workouts.)

Some interest, some concern

There have been some inquiries. The University of Minnesota has its eye on nearby Tuttle. A charter school has expressed interest in Putnam, and housing has been mentioned for Cooper, Holland and Morris Park. Other nonprofit and community agencies are interested in either buying or leasing the sites, Liss said.

For example, a group of artists near Howe is interested in converting the school into work and art studio space. But a few who live near Howe want teens to stop damaging the property and are raising concerns about potential rezoning.

"We don't want Howe to be a commercial property," nearby resident Bernadette Ammons said. "A developer wants to put housing in it. There are charter schools who want it and it seems like they can't be heard. We just want to broaden the discussion."

"I know in the end that some people won't be happy with a particular decision," said school board member Tom Madden, who has attended a handful of community meetings. "At the end of the day, we have to think about the fiduciary responsibility of the district."

Madden said he's hoping some properties will be sold and some leased. There's also talk of moving some administrators out of the headquarters at 807 NE. Broadway and into some of the closed sites.

"It would be shortsighted of us if we sold all of the properties," Madden said. "We might not be able to get that land back."

For instance, a recently shuttered school like Jordan Park, which was built to handle the enrollment surge on the North Side in the mid-1990s, is modern and also carries a $14 million debt. (Get this: It has two gymnasiums, an elevator and is less than 15 minutes from downtown.)

Madden said, "in hindsight, the district had no business" building new schools without closing or tearing down old ones.

Demolition is a last resort

It costs from $100,000 to $300,000 apiece to maintain the empty structures annually, Liss said. That includes making sure the pipes are functioning, keeping the heat on and doing some occasional cleaning.

You never know when a potential buyer will want a tour.

"We're not mothballing the buildings," Liss said. "We check constantly to make sure everything is working."

The school board recently encouraged the district to sell as many properties as feasible. Even if student enrollment, which has been plunging for nearly eight years, moves up, it's unlikely all the of schools would reopen, Liss said.

Demolition is "a last resort," he added.

Liss hopes that the city will help manage and develop some properties until they're sold.

There is a precedent. Liss points to Minneapolis police using the former Hamilton Elementary on the North Side as a training facility and headquarters for its Police Athletic League. The police pay day-to-day operations and the district is responsible for its exterior.

The district will hold meetings in the next two months where residents can help evaluate how to best reuse their area schools. In May, the school board will receive a plan of recommended uses for the sites.

"Long term, we can't afford to be putting any dollars into empty buildings," Liss said. "We don't want to be in the real estate business."

Terry Collins • 612-673-1790