The Butler Area School District is continuing the process of selling the former Middle School/Junior High facility.
Monday night the school board approved a motion to authorize the district solicitor to file with the Court of Common Pleas seeking approval of the sale with the final price to be determined at a hearing.
According to an update from Superintendent Dr. Brian White, a second prospective purchaser recently informed district administrators of interest in the property.
“We’re going to allow a judge to decide this. We have a sales agreement, we obviously set the initial price that we were prepared on. This number is higher,” White said. “Both parties will be notified. We’ll arrange the court date and let both parities bid it out.”
The district currently pays about $200,000 per year in utility costs to maintain the vacant structure and it would cost an estimated $2 million to completely demolish the building.
“We can’t carry this building. The utility costs are just not feasible. We also don’t want to see fall apart into disrepair because that would leave a hole in the City of Butler,” White said.
The process will now include receiving two appraisals for the property before a date is set for the court hearing as was procedure when the district sold other buildings several years ago. This review by a judge includes allowing prospective bids from the public.
