DCCC looks to buy old Prendie building for $55M
A resolution from Delaware County Community College seeking approval from sponsoring school districts to a $55 million investment into the former Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School building is not receiving unanimous support.
The school boards of Upper Darby and Interboro voted no to the resolution at their respective meetings on May 14 and May 15. The resolution would allow the college to purchase, construct, equip and finance renovations to the centuryold former school building owned by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. The college plans to shut down its Southeast Center and Upper Darby campuses and open a new campus center in the school.
The Upper Darby School Board voted 5-3 against the resolution. Board President Rachel Mitchell said she supports the college, but as a board member she couldn’t support the resolution. “I’ve given a lot of careful consideration that’s in the report tonight for the DCCC capital project resolution for Prendie,” she said before the vote. “There are a lot of unknowns, and I’m also concerned because the district desperately needs space and there is opposition for the Clifton Heights property. If the district could get the Prendie property that would be able to solve a lot of our problems.”
The district allegedly lobbied for the Prendie property as it deals with overcrowding in its schools, but was shot down. This occurred as the district faces pushback from Clifton Heights on plans to potentially build a new middle school on districtowned land known as Clifton Fields, the largest unoccupied property the district owns, at more than 13 acres.
School board members at Interboro also were more opposed to the resolution, voting it down 7-2.
Board Vice President Justin Schivone said the financial implications of extending its sponsorship status with the college to pay for the $55 million is not in the district’s best interest without negotiation.
“It’s making a decision for a board in the future and I cannot support another four years without negotiating the terms,” he said.
Upper Darby and Interboro did, however, approve their annual contributions to the college at $1 million and $448,500 dollars, respectively.
In the resolution sent to districts, the bond would reach a final maturity in 20 years and would require the local sponsors (the school districts) to extend its articles of agreement beyond the current expiration of the 2034-35 school year. Districts are expecting not to see an increase in their annual debt service contributions to the college when paying back the bond.
The college board of trustees have already approved purchasing 8.5 acres of the 35.5-acre property located at 403 N. Lansdowne Ave. The capital project would repurpose and improve 118,500 square feet of existing buildings and demolish almost 80,000 square feet of existing structures. Existing lease spaces in Upper Darby and Sharon Hill “do not allow the capacity for the completion of programs,” says the resolution.
College spokesman Anthony Twyman did not provide comment on what resolution rejection from sponsoring school district means to the college in pursuing this plan. Twyman and archdiocesan spokesman Ken Gavin separately confirmed that an agreement of sale has yet to be entered between the parties.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Ridley Board of School Directors unanimously approved the resolution at their May 6 meeting.
Of the 15 school districts in the county, only Chichester, Marple Newtown and Penn-Delco are not sponsors. Garnet Valley and Wallingford-Swarthmore do not have sponsorship from all of their communities.