Islamic Center Makes Offer for Closed School

The Board of Education will consider an offer from the Islamic Cultural Center in Franklin, MI, to purchase Eagle Elementary School, one of the four elementary schools that closed at the end of last school year.

A commercial real estate brokerage firm, Thomas A. Duke Company in January approached the district with a written offer, which proposed buying the now-closed property for $850,000.

According to a memo to the Farmington Public Schools Board of Education, the administration commissioned an appraisal of the property, and in February, reported that the market value of the property is $1.1 million.

Based on that appraisal, the Islamic center made an offer of $1.1 million, and the district’s legal counsel, Miller, Canfield, Paddock & Stone PC, entered negotiation to work out a purchase offer.

If the Board agrees to the terms, the district would be able to move forward with plans to remove casework and cabinetry, gym light fixtures, shelving and other materials from the building. The center would agree to usage restrictions that are permitted by zoning. The Islamic Center would pay all broker fees, title insurance and closing costs. The school district would pay its own legal fees.  And the district would maintain first right of refusal if the center later elects to sell the property.

If the district elects not to sell, it will pay $179,575 this summer to demolish the building and remove the asbestos from the site.

The board will discuss the offer at its regular meeting Tuesday.

Also on the agenda are:

• Recommendation to appoint a director of facilities
• Acceptance of graduation lists from the district’s three high schools
• Intra-district school of choice recommendations
• A progress report on disproportionality (a larger number of minority special education students being suspended or expelled) and positive behavior intervention support

The meeting will be held at 7:30 p.m., at , 32900 W. 13 Mile, Farmington Hills.