Cary School District 26's Maplewood property up for sale again

The Cary School District 26 Board is putting the old Maplewood School property up for sale for the fourth time.

The board unanimously approved the sale of the property by a sealed bid during a meeting Monday, according to a news release from the district.

The board has approved a minimum purchase price of $2.5 million.

Interested bidders can pick up an information packet starting Thursday at the district office or find it on the district's website, www.cary26.org. The bids will be open at
10 a.m. July 24 at the district office, 2115 Crystal Lake Road, Cary.

The 15.6-acre property, 422 W. Krenz Ave., includes an estimated 42,000-square-foot school with an adjacent transportation maintenance garage and bus parking lot. The school was closed in 2010 because of decreasing enrollment and rising costs of maintaining the building.

A recent housing proposal for the site fell through after the Village Board and residents said the plan was too dense.

Although there has been consistent interest from potential buyers, the board said those deals all have fallen through because of outside factors. The district hopes to not only sell the old school for its highest bid and best use, but also to generate income for the community by putting the property back on the tax rolls, according to the release.

“The district has made numerous attempts to sell the property,” board President Scott Coffey said. “The board believes that the current climate and interest in the property may provide the best opportunity yet to sell the property.”