Plans to convert former elementary schools to housing are still moving forward.
BNIM, a Kansas City, Mo.-based architect and design firm, is seeking Kansas Low-Income Housing Tax Credits to help pay for the first phase of the project, which would renovate McKinley and Jefferson.
The group has passed the initial application phase and will submit a full application to the state in May, USD 257 Superintendent Stacey Fager told board members on Monday. It’s an encouraging sign and the group feels they have a strong proposal for the state to consider, Fager said.
Renovation of Lincoln would be in the second phase.
BNIM wants to convert all three former schools into housing. Their efforts hinge on a combination of tax credits, grants and other financing. The group would invest about $21.7 million into all three of the schools, converting them into around 61 mixed-income apartments with the possibility of other types of housing or amenities on the properties.
The cost to renovate McKinley and Jefferson is estimated at $13.4 million; for Lincoln, it’s $8.3 million.
The district has given BNIM a couple of years for the process. That means if they aren’t successful with this round of financing, they can try again next year.
The district must continue to maintain the buildings while BNIM seeks financing. Two of the buildings are still in use. Southeast Kansas Mental Health leases McKinley for a youth program and the ANW Special Education Cooperative leases Lincoln.
The district uses Jefferson for storage; the Allen County Historical Society organized a program there after the school closed.
It’s good for the buildings to remain in use, BNIM representatives previously told the school board. Vacant buildings are subject to vandalism and weather damage.
