(Hartley)– Plans to demolish the former Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn elementary school in Hartley have been put on hold. The school board has scheduled a public hearing for December 1st to consider the possibility of selling the building.
A developer has stepped forward with a proposal to convert a portion of the building into a daycare and youth center. Plans call for 11 apartments to be located on the second floor. The project would also include some work on a portion of the roof along with upgrades to HVAC, plumbing and electrical systems in the building.
The proposal is being met with skepticism from school board and city council members. One school board member said he feels the district should stand by their initial decision to tear down the structure, saying that’s what they told district patrons they would do, after determining the building was obsolete. A member of the city council says he wants some assurance it wouldn’t fall back on the city should the proposed project fail.
