GATEWAY PUTS UP A FOR SALE SIGN
The Gateway Middle School property officially is up for sale.
The school board voted 7-2 Tuesday to authorize district officialsto list the 26-acre property at 4450 Old William Penn Highway for sale, but did not set a purchase price. The district has been working with the 360 Group of Pittsburgh to marketthe property.
Board members Scott Williams, Mary Beth Cirucci, George Lapcevich, Jesse Kalkstein, Steve O’Donnell, Rick McIntyre and Valerie Warning voted in favor of listing the property. Brian Goppmanand John Ritter voted no.
“It will be listed as it’s zoned presently,” which is R1 residential, said Gateway solicitor Bruce Dice. The boardhas been working to rezone the property from residential to commercial in an effort to generate a higher sales price. Monroeville Counciltook the matter off its agenda this month. The council intends to revisit the matterat a later date.
“You can only sell it right now for what it is and that’s residential,” Mr. Dice said. He added that the district may not see all the “commercial buyerslooking at the property sinceit’s zoned residential.”
“You’re going to get some who think they might be able toget it rezoned,” he said.
Regarding not setting a purchase price, Mr. Dice pointed out that when an individual lists a house for sale with a Realtor, there’s a place on the sales agreement that says: “This is the amount of moneyyouwant.”
“The buyer’s going to want you set the ceiling,” Mr. Dice said.
“I don’t think that’s in our best interest,” Mr. O’Donnell said, adding that even though the middle school property is zoned residential, “the overwhelming interest is going to be commercial. That’s going tobe the highest and best use.
“We’re not putting a price tagon it,” he said.
The board was to receive the appraised value of the property after the meeting. However, Mr. Dice said the figure would not be made availableto the public.
“You don’t want potential buyers knowing what the appraisedvalue is,” he said.
Mr. Ritter said he was going to “hold out hope” that the district still would be able to getit zoned commercial.