School District Agrees To Sell Four Of Five Buildings

The Bristol Township School District has agreed sell four of five shuttered former elementary schools.

The school board approved the sale on the Lincoln, Fitch and Lafayette schools and acreage to Renovah Construction Company for $770,000 Tuesday evening. The Lincoln and Fitch properties that are nestled in Levittown neighborhoods were each sold for $210,000 and the 20-acre Lafayette property sold for $350,000.

In Croydon, the eight-acre Maple Shade Elementary School property was sold to nonprofit Interfaith Housing Visions for $180,000.

All eight school board members in attendance Tuesday evening voted in favor of the sale of the three schools and School Board President Angela Nober and board member Constance R Moore voted against the Maple Shade sale. Board members Aaron Richardson and Gallus Obert were not in attendance.

The closed George Washington school property was not included in the sale.

The sales still need to be approved at Bucks County Common Pleas Court, solicitor Dave Truelove said. In Pennsylvania, school properties can’t be sold the same way a private home can.

The seemingly low price is due to the fact each building will cost about $300,000 to demolish possibly more abatement work needed.

Nober said Renovah Construction Company told officials they planned to build affordable 55-plus housing at the Lincoln, Fitch and Lafayette properties.

Interfaith Housing Visions plans to break the project at the Maple Shade property into multiple phases that are dependent on funding. While there would subsides 55-plus housing for low-income resident, the nonprofit also talked about creating a possible community center and housing for veterans, Nobler said.

In meetings with the community last year, facilities for veterans, those who need help and 55-plus developments were among the suggestions from area residents.

The Bucks County Redevelopment Authority (RDA) worked with the district to market the properties to developers across the nation. School board members, school district officials and several Bristol Township Council members heard proposals for the sites.