West Bloomfield schools reject $2M offer for Roosevelt – The Oakland Press

The West Bloomfield School District has declined a fifth offer to purchase Roosevelt Elementary. The offer is the highest of five that were presented to the district. photo by Matt Fahr Media News Group

The West Bloomfield School District has turned down a $2 million offer to purchase Roosevelt Elementary in Keego Harbor.

This is the fifth and most lucrative offer rejected by the district since plans to demolish the building were announced last September.

Real estate attorney Nate Resnick, representing an unnamed local client, said the district declined the offer on April 23 for the property and building.

This is the highest offer since Roosevelt Historic Place, LLC, offered to purchase the property and building for $1.7 million.

Resnick, whose business is located in Bloomfield Hills, said there were no counteroffers or discussions with West Bloomfield officials once the offer was made in April.

“I received a response saying the school board is not considering any offers at this time, basically saying we are not selling the property,” Resnick said. “The offer is from a qualified buyer and is independent of any pending litigation.”

The district is currently in litigation with the nonprofit group Heart of the Lakes Community which filed a lawsuit to stop the building’s demolition. The case is currently before the Michigan Court of Appeals, which granted an emergency stay of the demolition pending a decision in the case.

“As a taxpayer, it is frustrating to see the district ignore substantial offers to purchase this historic building,” said Kirsten Douglass, a member of the Heart of the Lakes group. “It is also concerning that the school board is not following its own policies and standards and continues to lack transparency. »

In March, the West Bloomfield school board voted 4-2 to clean up and demolish the building.

The $558,000 approved by council was $465,000 for demolition and $93,000 for asbestos cleanup. The land was appraised earlier this year by Integro Realty Resource at $1.2 million.

“We are happy to wear the white knight hat if the purchase solves many problems for the community, the school district or whoever,” Resnick said. “This will end the litigation and help everyone involved.”

The district continues to maintain that the building is beyond repair and will end up in the hands of a charter school creating competition for students within the district.

“As the building has been vacant for some time and is in a state of deterioration, it represents a significant ongoing liability for the school district,” the district said on its website. “This parcel of land, located in the center of Keego Harbor, is a valuable asset and the district has no plans to sell it at this time.”

“We have made it clear that my client is not affiliated with and has no intention of developing charter school property,” Resnick said. “In fact, my client will represent and assure the West Bloomfield School District that the property will not be developed for a charter school.”

Resnick said his client is “locally based” and has made no final decision on what he would do if a deal were to be reached.

“At this early stage, without an accepted purchase offer, my client is unable to develop the design of the planned development for the property,” he said.

He also reiterated the district’s position, which is not to negotiate or engage in discussions about the sale of the property.

“If they had contacted me about the qualifications of the buyer or how quickly we can close or if they had any questions we could answer them, but it hasn’t progressed that way,” he said. Resnick said. “I think our offer, based on the timing and price, should be taken in a different way than previous offers.”

He added: “Selling the property to my client is not only a logical solution, but it also ends all the fighting. My client is going to use it for optimal use of the property that will develop and improve the community, so it’s a win-win for everyone.