Though no definitive decision has been reached yet regarding what comes next for Franklin Academy, interested parties have already started inquiring about – and touring – the school.
During a work session on Monday, board of trustees President Robert Smith and trustee Josie Shumake both said they’ve received calls from people interested in Franklin.
Smith said one “organization” interested in repurposing the property even had the opportunity to tour the building about two weeks ago.
“The only thing that I can say right now is that they were interested, and I told them, at the present time, the district has not decided what (it is) going to do,” Smith told The Dispatch on Tuesday. “… There’s one developer that has contacted me, and then the other two people that toured it was an organization that had an interest in it, but they didn’t want their name mentioned at the present time.”
The news of the tour appeared to be a surprise for some on the board, with Shumake noting she was unaware the board members could organize tours of the school.
“So if anybody calls and has an interest – developer or whatever – we’ll put them in contact with (Interim Superintendent Craig Chapman) and he can set it up,” Smith said.
Franklin closed in May in line with the district’s plan to consolidate its five elementary schools and shift to grade-span learning, meaning each campus will house certain grades. Fairview Elementary will close next at the end of the school year, leaving the district with three vacant campuses including Union Success Academy.
To help determine how Franklin and the other two schools can best be repurposed, Shumake on Monday suggested forming a committee of “area experts” in real estate and redevelopment who could provide ideas or insight moving forward.
“I don’t feel competent to really discuss this in the sense that I’m not an expert in real estate. I’m not an expert in redesigning buildings,” Shumake said. “… When I suggested (having this discussion), I wasn’t really thinking of the board … sitting around and coming up with ideas on what to do, but rather getting citizens of Columbus that would be subject matter area experts who might give us some ideas.”
Smith said he would also like to see interested parties approach the board themselves to share their potential plans for repurposing Franklin.
“The people who have an interest, I would like to see them come before the board and share their concerns and interests of what plans they would have,” Smith said. “I would hope that the board as a whole (can) get the community involved and see what the community would like to see happen.”
$23 million in needed repairs
During the work session, Jose Arellano, principal architect with PryorMorrow, presented the board with updated estimations for how much it would cost to cover necessary renovations at Franklin.
The total landed at about $23 million, Smith said. Arellano said properly weatherizing the building would run the district more than $5 million.
PryorMorrow conducted a facilities study in late 2023 into all of the district’s facilities. At Franklin, the study found significant moisture damage in the building that warrants structural repairs.
“I made the comment back then that just doing the exterior renovation, restoration was not going to correct the moisture issue,” Arellano said. “We need to do the roof, the windows and the wall for that.”
When you add Mississippi Department of Archives and History to the equation, the process becomes more complicated, he said.
“The problem with the building is moisture is not just coming in in one place,” Arellano said. “It’s everywhere, and of course as you know, once we start touching the windows and … the walls, Archives and History has to be involved. Any structural repairs that need to be done, Archives and History will have to go through that and review it.”
Speaking to The Dispatch on Tuesday, Smith said the district will need to focus on whether it will be responsible for bringing the facility up to standard or if that would be the responsibility of a future owner or lessee.
“Even if you leased it out, … the problem (for the district) is the only way we would lease it is that, whoever we lease it to will be on the conditions that they had to do the repair,” Smith said. “Because if the district repaired and then leased it out, it still would be expensive.”
McRae is a general assignment and education reporter for The Dispatch.
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