YMCA was going to buy a former Columbus school property. The plan has changed
The sites of four former Columbus schools are on track to have new owners, including one property that was intended to become a new YMCA branch before a different opportunity arose.
The Muscogee County School Board approved superintendent David Lewis’ recommendation Monday night to sell these surplus properties to these buyers:
- The former Rigdon Road School property, 1282 Rigdon Road, to B&O Services for $450,000.
- The former Rosemont School property, 4322 Rosemont Drive, to DVG Builders for $200,000.
- The former Woodall Center property, 4312 Harrison Ave., to Lucretius Stephens of Happy Valley Day Facility for $145,000.
- The former Tillinghurst School property, 514 Morris Road, to Cascade Properties for $295,000.
The Ledger-Enquirer has reached only one representative of the buyers to explain their plans for the properties.
Rigdon Road
MCSD had agreed to sell the 5.31-acre property, which includes the closed Ardahlia Mack Community Center, to the YMCA of Metropolitan Columbus for $460,000 in 2019. But that deal never was completed as the YMCA tried to raise money for the estimated $10-$12 million it would need to build a new branch.
The economic recession from the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the fundraising effort, local YMCA president and CEO Christopher Bryant told the Ledger-Enquirer in an email. But the organization remains committed to building a new branch in midtown, he said, as the leadership explores the opportunity of undisclosed land being donated for the project.
“Right now, we are focusing on the D.A. Turner YMCA renovations,” he said. “In the meantime, we are working to develop a strategy for a capital campaign for the new location. Our hope is to secure the potential location and begin a campaign in 2022.”
MCSD instead is selling the property to B&O Services, which provides support and care for people with developmental disabilities in Columbus.
Joann Brown, former principal of Baker Middle School, is B&O’s owner and chief executive officer. Brown lost to incumbent Pat Hugley Green in the 2016 election for the board’s District 1 seat.
Brown told the Ledger-Enquirer she plans to use the Rigdon Road property to expand B&O’s services. If she can get zoning approval, she would move the B&O operation to Rigdon Road from the rented space at 1828 Floyd Road. The larger property would enable B&O to increase its adult day care customers from around a dozen and add services for children with developmental disabilities as well, she said.
Tillinghurst School
The 4.49 acre property is the site of the demolished former Tillinghurst School.
Cascade Properties is based in Tyrone, Georgia.
The L-E reported in October that MCSD agreed to sell the property to Sadruddin Hakani of Duluth for $295,000. Hakani planned to seek rezoning for a commercial enterprise, possibly a retail center or strip mall.
After MCSD stopped using Tillinghurst as a regular school, it became a center for adult education and a Head Start program.
Rosemont School
The 6.5 acres is the site of the demolished former Rosemont Elementary School.
DVG Builders is a construction contractor based in Columbus.
Woodall Center
The 2.65 acres is the site of the demolished building that was Harrison Avenue Elementary School and then the Woodall Center for special education.
Happy Valley Day Facility provides daycare for adults at two locations in Columbus: 3301 13th Ave. and 600 Second Ave.
Still for sale
Surplus MCSD properties remaining on the market are the former Spencer High and 30th Avenue Elementary school buildings.
