Philadelphia School District Sells Property For $1
By Mike DeNardo
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The Philadelphia School District has sold two historic buildings -- one for a lot, one for a little.
The district sold the old Roberto Clemente Middle School, on the 3900 block of North 5th Street, for $1.
"I would say the property is worth less than one dollar," says Art Haywood, vice president of Nueva Esperanza, the nonprofit organization buying the building. He says it's going to cost more than $1 million to remove all the asbestos from the property.
Nueva Esperanza runs a charter school, but Haywood told School Reform Commission member Joe Dworetzky that there were no such intentions for this site.
(Dworetzky:) "What's the plan that you have for redeveloping it?"
(Haywood:) "Our plan for the property is to create affordable housing."
(Dworetzky:) "Are you going to build a charter school there?"
(Haywood:) "No."
The SRC also agreed to sell the old West Philadelphia High School, at 4700 Walnut Street, for $6 million. It's expected that a mixed-use and residential development will go there.
