Judge Green Lights Sale Of Three Closed Levittown Schools

The Bristol Township School District’s plan to offload three closed elementary schools for $1.2 million has cleared a major hurtle.

Bucks County Judge Jeffrey Finley recently issued an order to approve the district’s plan to sell the 17.5-acre John Fitch Elementary School on Greenbrook Drive, 10-acre Abraham Lincoln Elementary School on Plumtree Drive, and 17-acre George Washington Elementary School on Crabtree Drive to McGrath Homes. The company has told the district they plan to build a 55-plus development with a mix of flats and apartments.

Now that the judge has cleared the sale of the school properties, McGrath can submit formal plans for the three sites to the township for the land development approval process.

Bristol Township Council Craig Bowen said the township has not yet received formal plans from the developer, but he has said in the past that he feels age-restricted developments are a plus for the community.

The sale is not expected to close until the land development for the sites has been approved by the township, Bristol Township School District Business Manager Josh Sweigard told LevittownNow.com.

The school district and McGrath entered into an agreement of sale in July 2018 for the properties.

The $1.2 million deal contains about 45 acres of property in the Levittown section of Bristol Township.

The transfer of the properties will be among the largest recent sales of land for residential development in Bristol Township.

Real estate appraisal experts testified last month that the sale price to McGrath is fair.

McGrath will be responsible for the demolition and abatement of toxic materials in the three buildings.

The school board and district officials have stated multiple times that the softball fields at the Fitch school will be preserved. The current agreement with McGrath includes a clause that the developer will continue to maintain the fields, Sweigard said.

Leading up to the sale to McGrath, the district received a dozen bids for the closed buildings, Sweigard testified before the court last month.

McGrath, according to district officials and school board members, had the best offer that fit with possible development ideas outlined by the community.

The closed Lafayette and Maple Shade elementary schools remain vacant. Last year, the school board awarded a nearly $600,000 contract to Premium Excavating and Demolition of Falls Township to tear down the buildings.

The two sites remain for sale.

The Lafayette property is 20.9 acres that borders county park property off Fayette Drive and Maple Shade is on a V-shaped 5.7-acre lot off Newport Road in Croydon.

Work remains underway to convert the former Clara Barton Elementary School into the district administration, transportation, and maintenance hub.