Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
The sale of the former Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School to a manufacturer has been delayed again.
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In an 8-1 vote, the Bristol Township School Board voted Monday to delay the closing date for the 31.7-acre property to March 31, 2027.
The extension grants Crystal Windows and Door Systems more time to navigate municipal applications and finalize development plans for the site on Veterans Highway.
The agreement between the district and the company to sell the property for $18.3 million was originally struck in spring 2024.
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The sale has seen delays since the deal was made public.
Under the new terms, Crystal Windows and Door Systems will make interim concessions and payments to the school district while the deal remains pending.
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“This will enable the purchaser to go forward with the applications with the township and do some other work to finalize the project and hopefully get this district paid within the next school year,” said Solicitor David Truelove.
The sale to Crystal Windows received county court approval in October 2024.
The proposed manufacturing facility is expected to generate approximately 300 jobs in Bristol Township.
Credit: Tom Sofield/LevittownNow.com
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Alexander Zhang, property manager for Crystal Windows and Door Systems, previously said that the planned facility on the school site will focus on window fabrication.
While the facility will include minor storage and logistics, Zhang stated the company will maintain its primary distribution hub in Benton Township, Columbia County.
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Crystal Windows previously presented two potential designs for the site – a 425,000-square-foot manufacturing building and a smaller manufacturing facility paired with separate retail pad sites along Veterans Highway.
Initial plans to include a housing component on the property were scrapped after local residents voiced opposition.
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The Franklin D. Roosevelt Middle School closed its doors in March 2023 after the opening of the renovated Benjamin Franklin Middle School on Mill Creek Road.
Approximately a decade ago, interest was shown in converting the site into a shopping center, but the district was not prepared to vacate the building at that time.
