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(Photos by Lakewood Board of Education)
(LAKEWOOD) - The Lakewood Board of Education is proposing the sale of the historic buildings at 1456 and 1470 Warren Road, to Liberty Development Company. The Board is scheduled to vote on approval of the contract at its February 5 meeting.
The agreement would preserve the historical façade of the East Rockport Central School building, which recently housed the Recreation Department. Liberty will pay $500,000 for the properties and plans to invest approximately $8 million in renovations. Work will begin first on the 1456 property, which will be renovated into modern office space. The Board must vacate that building by June 2018, but will have the option to lease that space after the work is complete.
Board employees will be able to remain in the 1470 Warren building until August 2019 under a lease agreement that includes six free months.
“The proposed contract allows us to remain in downtown Lakewood in renovated office space without going to voters for funding,” said Superintendent Jeff Patterson. He also noted that the space for the Board’s administrative operations will shrink from 30,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet, significantly cutting overall operating costs.