The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Board of Education to auction off old Northwood Middle School
Elyria building sale approved after originally marked for demolition
The former Northwood Middle School in Elyria is going up for auction.
Elyria City Schools’ Board of Education approved during a virtual meeting Nov. 18 to put the former school up for sale.
Northwood closed at the end of the 2019-2020 school year since the new Northwood Campus opened for this year.
Paul Rigda, building project consultant for the school board, said the buildings are going to be similar.
“The new buildings, including the Northwood campus, are going to be different sizes but have the same amenities,” he said.
In 2019, buildings which originally were marked for demolition, were prepared by the district to either trade or sell.
The district was able to take the construction funds and use those funds to put towards construction instead.
In a trade, the city took three buildings: Franklin, Oakwood and McKinley elementary schools, in return the school got some parcels of land near the new Northwood Campus.
Rigda said the charter schools had the first chance at the Northwood Middle School building, as outlined in Ohio law.
Charters had 60 days to respond and express interest before Elyria Schools could move forward with a public auction.
Elyria Schools lawyer Howard Lane said there’s a planned auction for Northwood at 2 p.m., Dec. 14, for the sale of the land, the building and personal property inside it.
The public auction will be held inside the gym of Northwood Middle School.
“We’re hoping we have a good auction and are looking forward to it,” Rigda said.
Bidders are required to make a minimum bid of $400,000, and the winner must pay 10% of the total up front.
However, the winning bid has to be approved by the school board.
If the board denies the bid, the 10% would be refunded.