The fate of a historic, two-story red brick school house in Wheat Ridge is again cloudy after a charter school affiliate set to take over the building recently received strong recommendations from the Jeffco School District not to move forward with a planned multi-million dollar renovation.
The Wheat Ridge Housing Authority saved the building from demolition when it purchased it from the school district in 2011 for $1. Even after investing almost $285,000 in maintenance, the housing authority couldn’t find a tenant or buyer for the building built by Denver architect Temple Buell in 1926. The school at 10801 W. 44th Ave. is on the National Register of Historic Places.
The charter school affiliate was one of two organizations that responded last year to a housing authority request asking for ideas to utilize the property. They were selected as the new tenants last August.
The Fruitdale Building Corporation, a Mountain Phoenix charter school affiliate, was set to receive the property.
But after a meeting with district officials a few months ago, the group’s master planning committee will advise the governing council not to move forward with the project.
At the meeting, district officials strongly recommended Mountain Phoenix not renovate. Reasons included the district’s risk management department having concerns about being able to insure the building, the cost of a $3 million renovation and the time frame: The charter school is currently expanding its Wheat Ridge Middle School.
“This conversation was a partnership, and they came to us seeking advice,” said Tim Matlick, Jeffco’s achievement director for charter schools. “The district wouldn’t give away a perfectly good building; there’s reasons they didn’t want to invest years ago to bring it up to code.”
Karen Bailey, the interim director of education at Mountain Phoenix, said nothing is official until the charter school’s governing council hears and votes on the official recommendation at a meeting next week.
She holds out hope that if the vote is no, something can be worked out with the city to retain the property so the ownership transfer can be reconsidered at a future date.
“The district gave us their opinion and we heard them,” Bailey said. “The housing authority was very generous to offer this, but the timing is just not right with the other expansion project we’re working on.”
Housing Authority officials learned of the recommendations earlier this week and said it’s to soon to speculate what could happen moving forward.
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com or twitter.com/abriggs
