WILLIAMS - The old school building on the corner of Sheridan and Second Steet in Williams has sat dormant for years. Pending approval from the Williams Planning and Zoning Commission, Bruce Bennett hopes to convert it from an eyesore to a vital piece of property.
Bennett, a building contractor and owner of the school building, originally planned to convert the building into 32 condominiums but realized that, in the current market, he would have a difficult time securing financing for the project as well as selling the units.
He has now developed two new plan options for the building.
The first would be a mixed-use commercial building. Under the plan, the three story portion of the building would be converted to office space on the first and second floors with the third floor used as live/work artist lofts featuring the existing school lockers.
"The lofts would have hard wood floors and still keep the lockers in each room. Basically converting each classroom into an apartment. The whole kitchen, bathroom, sleeping area. That kind of thing," Bennett said.
Two single story wings off the back of the building would be converted into five apartments. The current basketball court would be transformed into a parking lot for the apartments.
Bennett envisions the gymnasium or cafeteria turned into a public space used for group meetings or events.
As an alternate plan, Bennett foresees the building converted into a retirement home facility.
Bennett went before the Williams Planning and Zoning Commission in March to present his initial thoughts on how the building could most effectively be used and to request a zoning change. No decisions were made at the meeting with the Commission
concerned about asbestos in the building.
Bennett, an asbestos contractor, says the building is now almost entirely asbestos free. Any remaining asbestos is in the roof shingles.
"I don't have an approved fixed use for the building right now. The building has been tied up in litigation for some time now but that's all squared away now. We're moving ahead getting the windows back in there. We're repairing the overhang where it had failed over the years. We're patching the roof temporarily. We're putting a new roof on the building," he said.
Ownership of the school building has changed hands over the last few years.
Bennett initially bought the taxes on the building approximately five years ago. He said his attorneys failed to send a certified letter to the owner notifying her of the foreclosure. Due to the mistake, a potential buyer of the building filed an action in the Flagstaff courts to reverse Bennett's foreclosure. Bennett said that because the other party was successful, he was forced to go to the appellate court where he eventually prevailed.
"The litigation is over. I've got it. Its free and clear," he said.
The 40,000 square foot building sits on 22 city lots. In the last six months, Bennett has replaced all of the sewer lines running from the building to the street and gone down the alley to pick up a sewer lateral. New water lines to the building have been installed and underground conduit has been run into the building with the help of APS. Almost all of the crumbling blacktop has been removed and trees around the building have been trimmed.
"We've tried to do this summer everything we need to do involving the outside of the building, short of painting it, before the weather gets bad up there," Bennett explained. "The building is now at a point where we can work on the inside and move ahead with that once we get an approved use from the city."
Williams City Planner Harry Holmes said he hopes to see the old school building put to good use but emphasized that residents living in close proximity to the structure as well as Williams residents at large should be made a central part of the decision making process.
"It needs to come in front of the city in some kind of public forum to get some public input into what should be done with the building because it's a tremendous asset to the community," he said. "It's private property. He has the right to do anything within the guidelines of the zoning. Unfortunately, the zoning is an issue."
Zoning regulations allow school buildings to be built in residential neighborhoods. Holmes said changing the zoning to Commercial/Residential often causes residents to worry about the kinds of businesses that might move into their neighborhood. He went on to say that the challenge in converting an old school is finding something constructive to do with the building, making it an asset to the community without becoming a nuisance to the neighborhood.
"I think if everybody puts their heads together and cooler heads prevail, we'll find a good use for that building. If its presented properly and enough public input goes into designing it, it should fly," Holmes said.
Bennett believes his plans for the building will resonate with members of the community and the city of Williams.
"I think the city is enthusiastic about getting something done with the building," he said. "We want to get something done with the building and get it to where it's producing some income. Its been sitting there for 33 years doing nothing."
Reader Comments
Posted: Monday, November 16, 2009
Article comment by:
Linda Creager
I am curious as to how much the rent fee would be for the live artists?
