Proposals for development options for the soon-to-be-closed John Fitch Elementary School in the Greenbrooke section of Levittown will be sought this summer.
Bucks County Redevelopment Authority (BCRDA) Director Bob White said this week at a Bristol Township School District Redevelopment/Building Repurposing Committee meeting that his organization will put an RFP out in June to try to find a developer for the 17.5 acre site and 41,200-square-foot building that has served as a school for appropriately five decades.
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White said the BCRDA is looking to develop the site to the “highest and best use of the property with the consideration for the residents of the area in which the property is located.”
“We shouldn’t be too picky, but we want to the do the best for the people live near there,” he said.
The mix of community members and school board members in attendance spoke of some ideas for what they would like to see at the site. Some things almost everyone agreed on is no drug rehab facilities or retail stores at the site. White also said he wanted to find a developer who would either reuse the school building or construct a project that would match the character of the neighborhood. The committee seemed interested in some sort of senior living facility or daycare that would have little traffic impact and also bring in tax dollars.
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“It’s not the easiest to repurpose because you have to take into consideration it doesn’t have access to any major artery,” White said.
He also said the BCRDA would solicit bids and proposals from developers throughout the world. He added that all the bidders would be vetted to make sure their financials are good and that they have experience developing successful projects.
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Fitch along with five other elementary school buildings will become vacant when two new 1,300-student elementary schools open in September at the Ralph Waldo Emerson and James Buchanan elementary schools.
District officials said this week that the Lower Bucks YMCA, which currently has an aging facility on South Oxford Valley Road in Fairless Hills is interested in checking out some of the district’s elementary schools. The Bucks County Intermediate Unit has also shown some interest in district buildings.
At a previous Redevelopment/Building Repurposing Committee, turning one of the school buildings into a maintenance and transportation hub for the district was discussed. Clara Barton and Lafayette elementary schools were top candidates for reuse by the district. Bristol Township School District currently rents a Green Lane bus depot and a maintenance facility at the old Delhaas High School on Veterans Highway.
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White said George Washington Elementary School might be a good spot for a park or recreation area due to its proximity to baseball fields.
The district is planning to use money from the sale of several school properties to fund future projects at Bristol Township schools.
