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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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The state is not realizing much from the sale of the Michigan School for the deaf. Lurvey White is spending $35 million to renovate, so maybe somewhere there is a tradeoff in costs to offset the sale price.
State legislature approves bill for sale of schoolUpdated
at 07:34 AM today
Tags:flint, education funding, schools, scheduling and planning, local, kristen abraham
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Kristen Abraham
More: Bio, E-mail, News Team
GENESEE COUNTY (WJRT) -- (12/15/10)--The state legislature approved a bill Wednesday that allows a Genesee County developer to buy the Michigan School for the Deaf for $1.3 million.
Lurvey White Ventures, a private company, has big plans for the MSD campus.
The sale means major renovations and a plan to lease the buildings to both the School for the Deaf and Powers Catholic High School.
For Powers Catholic parents, they say this has been a long time coming.
"We need the move. We need to breath some new life into the Powers community," said Maggie Reeser Wright.
Reeser Wright drives her freshman daughter Molly every morning from Livingston County to attend Powers Catholic High School in Flint.
"As far as schools, Powers is the best we have," she said.
Reeser Wright watched Molly at the school's bowling match Wednesday night. She is a teacher at Eishenhower Elementary across the street from what is expected to be Powers new home.
"It's awesome," she said. "I am excited. Molly is excited. I also have a sixth grader at St John's who is looking forward to the new school."
"It's something powers has wanted for a long time, it's finally come true," said Gloria Royster.
Royster's son is a junior on the team. While he will miss out on the move, she believes the entire community will benefit from the sale.
"I think it will bring in more people and make it accessible for everyone," she said.
The Senate passed the bill giving the go-ahead to move forward.
Lurvey White Ventures plans to build a new MSD campus and renovate the vacant Fay Hall for Powers.
"We've already taken a drive through," said Jane Murphy. "t's a beautiful campus."
Murphy expects Powers to get a big boost in enrollment.
"I think it will have a big impact on the decisions that those parents makes for the incoming students," she said.
The developer said in a previous interview they plan to break ground in June.
They'll invest $35 million in renovations, creating as many as 150 jobs.
(Copyright ©2010 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
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Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:25 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Actually Commentr Jacksondm has it right. During the 90's the building had water leaks and a mold problem. Valley School renovations probably saved it.
Developer looking to move forward 'with complete support' of School for the Deaf community
Published: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 8:23 PM Updated: Wednesday, December 15, 2010, 9:50 PM
By Blake Thorne | Flint Journal
Folow
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FLINT, Michigan — A missed procedural vote in the Senate earlier this month looks like it won’t derail a developer’s plans for the Michigan School for the Deaf campus.
Lawmakers behind the measure to sell the about 80-acre campus on Miller Road knew last week they had their work cut out for them if they wanted to get at least 25 Senators back on the Senate floor to fix the oversight keeping the bill from passing.
Because senators failed to conduct an immediate effect vote — what some are calling a glitch or procedural oversight — the bill wasn't able to reach the governor's desk to be signed into law.
John Ehlke | The Flint Journal The Michigan School for the Deaf's Fay Hall.
On Wednesday morning, 36 senators returned to Lansing to give immediate effect to the bill and a handful of other bills with similar problems, said Sen. Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, who sponsored the Senate version of the bill.
Plans call for developer Lurvey White Ventures to put $36 million into the campus, building a new school for the MSD and renovating an existing building into a new home for Powers Catholic High School.
George grew up in Flint and graduated from Powers in 1975.
George, along with Rep. Lee Gonzales, D-Flint Township, and Sen. John Gleason, D-Flushing, worked to convince senators to return for the vote.
"It was a major effort to make phone calls and plead with them. They all agreed this is their duty," George said.
George said he was "very frustrated" to find out the bill wasn't ready after both houses approved it — the Senate in November and the House Dec. 3.
"I didn't know that we would be able to get the momentum to bring people back," George said. "And it turns out there are a couple other bills in the same predicaments. ... Some (senators) were coming back anyways to clean out their office."
Gonzales commended the measure, calling it beneficial for taxpayers, the MSD and Powers.
"All the parts of the puzzle are together," Gonzales said.
The vote is the second step forward for the project this week. On Monday, the state awarded Lurvey White a $5.6 million brownfield tax credit for the project.
The tax credit was among 17 business and redevelopment projects approved for tax breaks and other incentives by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority.
Of those projects, 11 are on brownfield sites, which are considered to be vacant and in some cases polluted land.
The project isn’t without opposition. Leadership of an alumni group had called for people to protest at the steps of the Capitol, claiming the deal “"lacks needed accommodations of MSD students and will cost exorbitant amounts that will drive the school out of existence," according to a release from the Michigan School for the Deaf Alumni Association.
More than a half-dozen protesters rallied against the legislation outside the state Capitol before lawmakers came into session. Protesters carried signs that read "No Deaf Child Left Behind" and had other messages saying the sale could put jobs at risk because of privatization.
Some of the protesters sat in the Senate balcony as lawmakers took the immediate effect vote.
Ridgway White, of Lurvey White, said he was glad Senators sent the bill to the Governor.
White also addressed concerns about the sale, saying “I want to make sure we have complete support of the whole deaf community once again and make sure that we have complete support of the entire (MSD) community.”
mccguy66 December 15, 2010 at 8:53PM
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Good-Bye Michigan School For The Deaf. Good-Bye to Fay Hall, plans call to have it torn down. Save this posting to prove me wrong
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munnbreslin December 15, 2010 at 9:06PM
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Actually mccguy66, the actual fay hall will have an all new interior, but the historical exterior will not change. its just a makeover for fay hall. the other buildings will be replaced since they are in such major disrepair and need so much work. New school buildings in this community show a commitment to education, truly the most important issue in the long run.
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jacksondm December 16, 2010 at 1:36AM
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Fay Hall was substantially upgraded a few years ago when the Valley School occupied it. While many in the deaf community opposed leasing it to Valley -- the building had been vacant and would probably have been torn down by now if that renovation hadn't occurred. I suspect that the current renovation will save this beautiful and somewhat historic structure. It will turn out to be a blessing for the deaf community -- BUT White is on the right path in consulting with them to alleviate the concnerns and - perhaps - save a bit of the building for a Deaf Alumni Room or some such accomadation.
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Thu Dec 16, 2010 8:37 am |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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As a local REALTOR I believe that price is a steal of a deal. The property is close to I-69 and has buildings on it now. Look at other land sales that don't include 80plus acres and you will see prices of 400k or more.
quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
The state is not realizing much from the sale of the Michigan School for the deaf. Lurvey White is spending $35 million to renovate, so maybe somewhere there is a tradeoff in costs to offset the sale price.
State legislature approves bill for sale of schoolUpdated
at 07:34 AM today
Tags:flint, education funding, schools, scheduling and planning, local, kristen abraham
Comment Now Email Print Report a typo
Kristen Abraham
More: Bio, E-mail, News Team
GENESEE COUNTY (WJRT) -- (12/15/10)--The state legislature approved a bill Wednesday that allows a Genesee County developer to buy the Michigan School for the Deaf for $1.3 million.
Lurvey White Ventures, a private company, has big plans for the MSD campus.
The sale means major renovations and a plan to lease the buildings to both the School for the Deaf and Powers Catholic High School.
For Powers Catholic parents, they say this has been a long time coming.
"We need the move. We need to breath some new life into the Powers community," said Maggie Reeser Wright.
Reeser Wright drives her freshman daughter Molly every morning from Livingston County to attend Powers Catholic High School in Flint.
"As far as schools, Powers is the best we have," she said.
Reeser Wright watched Molly at the school's bowling match Wednesday night. She is a teacher at Eishenhower Elementary across the street from what is expected to be Powers new home.
"It's awesome," she said. "I am excited. Molly is excited. I also have a sixth grader at St John's who is looking forward to the new school."
"It's something powers has wanted for a long time, it's finally come true," said Gloria Royster.
Royster's son is a junior on the team. While he will miss out on the move, she believes the entire community will benefit from the sale.
"I think it will bring in more people and make it accessible for everyone," she said.
The Senate passed the bill giving the go-ahead to move forward.
Lurvey White Ventures plans to build a new MSD campus and renovate the vacant Fay Hall for Powers.
"We've already taken a drive through," said Jane Murphy. "t's a beautiful campus."
Murphy expects Powers to get a big boost in enrollment.
"I think it will have a big impact on the decisions that those parents makes for the incoming students," she said.
The developer said in a previous interview they plan to break ground in June.
They'll invest $35 million in renovations, creating as many as 150 jobs.
(Copyright ©2010 WJRT-TV/DT. All Rights Reserved.)
Get more Local »
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Sun Dec 19, 2010 12:07 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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I think it this project is planned out and well thought it can be a huge thing for Flint.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Sun Dec 19, 2010 12:08 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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| in the end it may be a win-win for everyone incluing the state. |
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Sun Dec 19, 2010 3:51 pm |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| Or, it could be a gig win for Ridgeway White & a big loss for everyone else. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Sun Dec 19, 2010 5:52 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Time will tell
quote:
untanglingwebs schreef:
in the end it may be a win-win for everyone incluing the state.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Sun Dec 19, 2010 8:25 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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quote:
Dave Starr schreef:
Or, it could be a gig win for Ridgeway White & a big loss for everyone else.
That possibility crossed my mind. |
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Sun Dec 19, 2010 9:49 pm |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| Kumar Vemulapalli bought Genesee Towers at an auction at an incredibly low price. In "time" his investment paid off big time, at
our
expense. |
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Sun Dec 19, 2010 10:51 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Kumar is very smart. lol
quote:
00SL2 schreef:
Kumar Vemulapalli bought Genesee Towers at an auction at an incredibly low price. In "time" his investment paid off big time, at
our
expense.
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_________________
Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Mon Dec 20, 2010 12:10 am |
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00SL2
F L I N T O I D
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| One could take offense at your "LOL," Ryan. You laugh because you and Kumar are both in the real estate business? And you're not a resident of the City of Flint and don't have to pay taxes here? Please enlighten us. |
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Mon Dec 20, 2010 6:34 pm |
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