Stephen Austin has offered the Wayland Union school district $50,000 to buy the historic, but aging Moline Elementary School.
Bill Melching, the schools’ finance director, told the Board of Education Monday night, “The roof is in very bad shape and the building is deteriorating… I’m not a real estate agent, but that’s probably all that property is worth and its condition is getting worse.”
He was responding to board members’ questions about whether a better deal could be swung with somebody else.
Superintendent Norm Taylor was in agreement, saying, “I think this proposal is a win-win-win for the school district, for the community of Moline and for Mr. Austin.”
Austin and Taylor went before the Leighton Township Board and Planning Commission in two separate meetings last Wednesday and Thursday to talk about zoning and about how well the community would receive the proposal.
Austin, co-owner of Happy Camper Mobile RV Service and Retro Rentals of Caledonia with his wife, Shelly, do all phases of repair and restoration to campers, motor homes and vintage campers. They also restore vintage campers for Retro Rentals.
The Austins would like to remodel the building into a combination business and residence. He was told by the board and commission that Moline people would be pleased to have the building saved rather than razed and zoning considerations can be worked out.
Melching told the board the district could possibly use the $50,000 to pay down the bond or it could fund other capital improvements.
The old elementary school has been mothballed since 2003, and school officials have said not much has been for it since in the way of maintenance and upkeep.
Austin has pledged to allow the Moline Softball Association to use the softball fields in perpetuity, as it has done for more than 50 years. He also indicated he’d like to get things done quickly because he’d like to perform repairs on the roof before the snow flies.
At the request of Melching, the schools now will have a Market appraisal done on the building and property.
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