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SD 54 selling vacant schools

Chandler Park and Quick School both now up for sale

School District 54 is unloading a couple of old schools.

Last week, the school district officially put Chandler Park and Quick School up for sale, for $890,000 and $549,000, respectively.

According to the real estate listing, Chandler Park School is a 49,690 square foot one-level building. It needs extensive upgrades or could be demolished for development. The site is 3.8 acres, said realtor Donna Grudgfield from Remax Bulkley Valley, who is listing the property with Leo Lubbers.

Chandler Park is seen as more of a demolition and development project, Grudgfield said, adding interested parties would have to apply to the Town of Smithers to change the zoning from P2 (Public Use).

“The best use would be to remove the school and develop the property,” she said.

The Chandler Park field is owned by the Town of Smithers and is not involved in the sale.

SD 54 last tried to sell Chandler Park in the spring of 2006, for the “upset” price of $2.256 million. There were no takers. It closed its doors in 2004.

"There was a period of time where the ministry said there were no school sales allowed," explained SD 54 director of facilities Ed Hildebrandt. "What they were trying to do was lease out unused properties at the time and in the last year and a half or so, they said 'yep, go ahead.'"

Quick School is listed as a 7,123 square foot building constructed in 1987 on five acres of land. It has four classrooms, a gym and three offices.

This facility, in contrast to Chandler Park, was maintained after it was shut down and is in very good condition, Grudgfield said.

“The Quick School is in move-in condition,” she said. “It's clean, it's been maintained constantly over the years. It would make a good studio or private school or even a big house.”

The Quick School was shutdown at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

“[The properties] have only been on the market for a week, but we've already had lots of interest,” Grudgfield said. “The interest has been very forthcoming. They are prime for development.”

More information on the properties can be found at www.smithersrealty.com and www.realestatesmithers.com.