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Draper Journal

Old Park School Won’t Be Demolished Yet

Oct 23, 2014 10:02AM ● By Mimi Darley
Rather than demolish the old Park School this construction season as last planned, the city council voted Oct. 7 to surplus the Park School property.  

 City Manager David Dobbins said that this is the legal step needed to sell it, but any purchase agreement on the property would still have to come before the city council for approval.  Assistant City Manager Russell Fox clarified that this doesn’t mean the city has to sell the property, but simply that it would allow for that option.

“This gives us maximum freedom; we can consider any purchase offer,” councilmember Bill Colbert said.

“This would allow the private sector the opportunity to preserve the building,” councilmember Marsha Vawdrey said.

Immediately following the vote to surplus the property for potential sale, the city council also approved a demolition contract for the Park School.  The city had put out a request for proposals in August for the school’s demolition. City officials chose Impact Contractors for the task and have tentatively planned for demolition to happen sometime after Dec. 31.

“I know it’s unusual to approve a contract like this with a built-in delay, but that’s in consideration of giving a little more time to find someone interested in saving the school,” councilmember Jeff Stenquist said.

Meanwhile, the Draper Community Development Corporation sponsored a fundraiser Oct. 6 “to purchase and re-imagine” the Draper Park School.

“The Draper Community Development Corporation would like to purchase the school from the city,” the fundraiser flier stated.

The city had given that group a price tag of $1.7 million for the property with the contingency that the building not be demolished.