What Would You Do With A Spare School?
The News Tribune is reporting this morning on the Tacoma School Board’s move toward designating several pieces of land as surplus property. This would make it possible for them to sell, lease, or swap the property and remove the expense of their upkeep from the District’s books. The properties under consideration include:
Schools
- Old Gray Middle School – 3109 South 60th Street
- Willard School – 3201 South D Street
- Old Gault Middle School – 1115 East Division Lane
Other Property
- Property on the site of the old Mount Tahoma High School – South 66th and Tyler
- 8.5 acres at South 52nd and Mullen streets
- 15 acres at Cirque Drive West and Alameda Avenue West
- 32 acres surrounding Blueberry Park
- 25 acres near the new Mt. Tahoma High School – 4634 S. 74th Street
- 12,000 square foot Edison parking lot – South 58th and Cedar streets
- Camp Joshua Taylor – Key Peninsula
Anything here spark your imagination? Or is this even the right time to be talking about such things …
Link to The News Tribune
Filed under: tacoma-schools
17 comments
Y You're Welcome December 17, 2009
Is the housing boom over yet? I’d love to see just about anything but those rows and rows of little box houses.
J jmasterflex December 17, 2009
If i had the money i would buy them up, fix them up and open a private school district that is designed for alternative students, special education students and high achieving students! A wide spectrum of student that often times don’t get the serves they desire or require at a mainstream public school
J Jesse December 18, 2009
Give the coolest and oldest one to the Harmon Brewery or McMenamins.
Give the appropriate one to the Boys and Girls Club.
Give the last one to co-housing and farmers market housing program as stated above.
Sell the vacant land.
T Thorax O'Tool December 18, 2009
I’d set up the O’Tool School of Independent and Critical Thought.
A few things that would be taught by the O’Tool School:
1) Seeing through the political rhetoric of all levels of government as well as the control systems of religion and society.
2) Learning to think and act authentically
3) Learn the joy of working with your mind and hands both as one
4) Acquiring the skills needed to fix/make your own things
5) Feel the soil beneath your fingernails and learn to grow your own food
6) Apply problem-solving skills to technology and learn how to haxx0r
7) Learn to put beauty as a primary concern in both form and function
8) the lifelong desire to learn for the sake of learning
9) The wisdom to see that even if one can “see” beyond the control systems that are religion/government/society/economy, that you cannot really “escape the Matrix”, and that you have to be able to balance your fresh worldview with the existing system to be able to make it in the world without being one of those crazy dudes in a cabin in rural Montana…
10) Passing on these skills to those they know as well as the next generation
J Jesse December 18, 2009
Maybe Thorax is on to something there. How about a “Learning for Life” Academy. A field trip school where students go to learn life skills that they may actually use in the real world. Critical thinking, gardening, business development, career exploration, economics —macro/micro, computer science, self esteem development (maybe a high-ropes course), parenting skills, etc, etc, etc…
When are they hiring the Tacoma 360 Director position? I’d kill for that… (and I’m qualified).
H Heidi December 19, 2009
The School Board reps spoke at our Neighborhood Council meeting a few nights ago… they echoed the article stating a new roof on the old Gray School would cost $300,000.00 and $10,000.00 per month in maintenance. Really, that’s not bad compared to the cost of the new school they built (which wasn’t big enough… they now are paying for four portable buildings).
Consider also, the school board is planning to replace the all-weather turf at Stadium plus add the stuff to a number of other school playgrounds to the tune of ONE MILLION DOLLARS per school.
They could save a historic building for a fraction of the cost of one all-weather turf playground (grass, dirt, mud, asphalt was good enough for most of us growing up).
We need to save this building.
T Tacoma1 December 19, 2009
What purpose would we save this building for? I mean that as a serious question. Why save it? As it is now, it is a drag on tax payers and a dead zone for the neighborhood?
Why not sell it. Repurpose the building and land, and thus put the property back to work generating taxes while invigorating the neighborhood?
T Tacoma 360 December 19, 2009
Jesse: The job posting is on Craigslist.
J Jesse December 19, 2009
Tacoma360: Thanks for the heads up. I did stop by city hall a few weeks ago and they still knew nothing at that time. They thought that it may be posted after Strickland took over as mayor… but I guess they’re early (good for them!) I’ll get me stuff together this weekend!!! Thanks again!
A Altered Chords December 19, 2009
For Pete’s sake, MUSIC EDUCATION. We have music education in public school and the new art form called Jazz is created. We remove it from school and the best we can do musically is sample filled music devoid of melody.
Maybe thorax would allow a music/poetry annex to his school.
M Maggie December 20, 2009
This is the perfect time to be talking about such things. Imagination and potential drive recovery. Tacoma is chock full of both.
J JasonH5 December 21, 2009
Off topic: They posted the Tacoma360 Director position a couple days ago on craigslist. I’m thinking of applying as well!!!
I believe they should really look at these buildings as assets similar to what Seattle did. These can be hubs for the local neighborhoods. But in order for this to take place you need educated, dedicated, and innovative staff and directors to take this on. I’m willing! I just don’t have the money to invest….anyone want to help me!?
T Thorax O'Tool December 22, 2009
@ AC: Sir, music is art. All things artistic certainly MUST be included in the curriculum of the School of Independent Thought.
@ everyone else:
turning the surplus schools (an odd term, since the district will build more in the future) would indeed be ideal for community & arts hubs. Any city council/school board member who votes otherwise needs to be tarred and feathered and run out of town.
We don’t want them types ‘round here. Let them go to Bonney Lake or Federal Way.
A amy December 23, 2009
The Tacoma Waldorf School needs a new location. However, it is a small private school and cannot afford to purchase a property. Surely the school could work with other local groups out there.
D dootdo December 25, 2009
When a new school is built, and the school it replaces is closed, there is funding that comes from the state to help pay for that new school building. When the funds are taken from the state, the closing school must no longer be used as a school facility. The exception is when it is used as a temporary school. This is permitted by the state.
In other words, the future of surplus buildings is largely in the hands of interested parties who want to put money into those facilities.
D Douglas Tooley December 27, 2009
I live a block away from Willard, currently storage facility for the School District, near 34th and Pacific.
I’m curious as to what my neighbors think, certainly building a match for the Pacific Towers condo project would actually be an aesthetic improvement, but the transition to the single family neighborhood would be quite steep.
This particular property is definitely a good one for reuse, and could see both a saving of the existing building and new construction on the playground.
Personally, I would hope this is a private project, not another attempt at building subsidized density (project!) housing.
As to current market conditions the best development activity right now might well be the aquisition of foreclosed properties, via co-housing or housing land trust type models.
D dootdo December 30, 2009
Willard is no longer used as storage by the school district.