HomeMy WebLinkAbout1980 05-28 St. John's to buy Hazelwood building THE REVIEW , St. John's
Nto buy
Hazelwood
building
A bid for purchase of the Hazelwood
Elementary School building and site was
awarded May 22 by the Dist.622 school
•board to Health Resources,Inc.,a holding
company for St.John's Hospital.
The property was declared surplus by
the school board after a decision to close
the school due to declining enrollment.
Several parties had expressed interest
in the property during the past several
months,but St.John's was the only one to
submit what school officials called a
"responsiblepid."
Total purc se price is listed at
$875,000. Total receipts from the sale,
however,are expected to reach about$2
million,said Dist.622 business director
Owen Engen because of interest and
investments.The sale price met a Dist.
622 requirement that the property be sold
for not less than its appraised value.The
Hazelwood building was built in 1956-57 at
a cost of$701,500.
The sale is contingent on the granting of
a special use permit from the Maplewood
city council.St.John's officials said they
are confident that a permit will be
granted,citing a precedent in a similar
action regarding disposal of other school
properties.
The Hazelwood building would be used
for social and community service
programs of the hospital and other
agencies. The Eastside area Youth
• Service Bureau has expressed interest in
relocating to the Hazelwood site, said
school board member Charles Wiger.He
said it was"excellent"that school district
facilities could be converted to other
community uses.
School board member Jerry Bell
commended St. John's officials and
Engen for working out the agreement..
The vote authorizing the sale was
unanimous,with the exception of board
member William Lester,who was absent,
and Wiger,who abstained because of his
employment with the Minnesota Medical
Association.