Thanks to West Philly writer Patrick Kerkstra‘s piece on the development news website Plan Philly we know a lot more of how the closing and possible sale of schools may go.

The School District of Philadelphia plans to shutter up to 50 buildings. The district plans to announce in October which buildings will go. Communities have begun bracing for not only the closing of their school, but the possible resale of longtime community centerpieces.

This is where Kerkstra picks up the story with a detailed look at the district “adaptive reuse” policy (see document below). Schools could be sold to developers, non-profits or faith-based groups.

Kerkstra writes:

Unlike the existing policy, where the district’s goal is “to achieve the maximum market rate value in the sale” of property, the proposed new rules would offer discounts of up to 25 percent off the market value for would-be educational buyers, such as a charter school. Non-profits and community service providers – a faith-based charity, for instance, or a CDC – would be eligible for discounts of up to 15 percent, at the district’s discretion.

Click here for the rest of the story.
Proposed Adaptive Reuse Policy for Public Comment