‘Progress’ in quest to sell former middle school
Officials: Developers showing renewed interest in vacant site
WOONSOCKET – After showing the former Woonsocket Middle School to potential suitors, a real estate agent hired by the City Council has apparently drawn buyer’s interest from multiple parties, officials say.
Michael Alves of the firm Keller Williams Leading Edge is now poised to get a contract from the city that would allow him to enter negotiations for the sale of the property. Council President Dan Gendron says the request is a positive sign, but also stresses that it’s a preliminary formality.
At the request of the administration, Alves will get a freestanding contract for every parcel that he attempts to sell as a representative of the city, according to Gendron. While a proposed contract covering the 357 Park Place schoolhouse suggests there is credible interest in the property – it’s far from a done deal, the council president says.
“He has told us that he has people who have some interest already, but they’re waiting for a secure agreement with his listing, so it sounds like they are getting ready to move forward,” said Gendron. “It’s progress.”
Alves would list the property for $900,000, according to a copy of the proposed contract, which is up for approval during a special meeting of the council tonight.
The rambling, brick-and-marble schoolhouse was built in sections that date back to the early 1900s. The city’s efforts to sell the building began nearly two decades ago, not long after the new Hamlet and Villa Nova middle