Wyandotte Board OKs Sale of McKinley Elementary

On Tuesday night, the voted unanimously to approve the sale of the former McKinley Elementary School property.

The board agreed to accept an offer of $225,000 from GWI Properties, Inc., which is based in Royal Oak. The McKinley property, which is located at 640 Plum St., is a total of 2.7 acres and has not been used since 2009.

Built more than 70 years ago, the school was closed at the end of the 2009 school year as a cost-cutting measure by the district.

Wyandotte Superintendent Carla Harting said Tuesday night that GWI plans to create senior citizen housing on the site and wants to use the historic school building rather than demolish it.

“They don’t want to tear down the building, which we like,” Harting said. “It’s a beautiful building.”

Before any work begins, however, GWI still has to review the property as well as work with the city’s engineering, zoning and planning departments.

“Nothing is going to happen tomorrow,” board Trustee Stephanie Miello said. “(Sale approval) is the first step among many.”

Board president Patrick Sutka said selling the building eliminates a financial burden that came along with the district still owning it. Also, having a buyer that will develop the vacant building and property is a benefit to the surrounding neighborhood, he said.

“We’ve accomplished a business objective here and I believe we’ve also accomplished a community objective at the same time,” Sutka said.