The Port of Chehalis is in preliminary discussions with the school district on the future of RE Bennett Elementary School.
The Port of Chehalis is making moves to purchase two of the Chehalis School District’s elementary school properties on track to be replaced with James W. Lintott Elementary and Orin Smith Elementary.
The Chehalis School Board approved a joint feasibility study and exclusive right of offer between the district and the Port of Chehalis at the school board’s regular meeting on Tuesday evening. This agreement essentially gives the port the first choice to purchasing the R.E. Bennett and Cascade Elementary School properties, after a feasibility study.
“I am excited about the port being interested in the properties downtown,” said Chehalis School District Superintendent Ed Rothlin. “When we did put them up for sale, we were always nervous as to who might buy them and what they would want to do with those three city blocks in the middle of town. I’m sure the neighbors around those blocks were also nervous. I think if the port were in charge, of course their interest would be to do what’s best for our community and we like that.”
Should the Port of Chehalis Board of Commissioners approve the agreement, CEO Randy Mueller will begin putting together a group of stakeholders.
“The school district will be part of that, the city of Chehalis, Chehalis Foundation — we would invite them,” Mueller said. “We would invite folks far and wide, really try to get as many representatives of the Chehalis community to pitch in on what they think the vision for the property should be.”
Mueller said there are many potential uses for the properties, such as retail space, office space, or repurposing the gym at R.E. Bennett as a community gym.
“I don’t think anything is really off the table at this point,” Mueller said. “It’s just kind of what is compatible with the neighborhood around it. That’s why we really want to reach out to the city, because the city is going to be a really crucial partner as far as determining the future zoning. Right now it’s zoned school, which means you can have a school there, but none of the things we are talking about are necessarily a school.”
Mueller said he plans to bring the joint feasibility study before the Port of Chehalis Commission at its next regular meeting, which is Thursday, Oct. 25. The next step is for the Port of Chehalis Commission to give Mueller the go-ahead to sign the feasibility study.
Mueller noted that there is not currently a price for the feasibility study, which the port and the district will evenly split. He said the timeline for a feasibility study like this would typically be between three and six months. The Port of Chehalis will manage the study.
“What we have talked about is essentially the port kind of coordinating and serving as master developer … and trying to put together community stakeholders and put together a vision for the property,” Mueller said. “So what would we want it to be now that it’s no longer going to be a school. The feasibility study will kind of tell us what’s feasible and what’s not.”
During the school board meeting, Chehalis School Board president Joe Clark asked for specifics on the study.
“The idea is to determine the feasibility,” Mueller said. “So there (are) two pieces really to the feasibility that as we start working with the district … trying to find a consultant that we are really confident in is (important). There is kind of the architectural piece — whatever you want to call it, renovations, bringing it up to code, the physical piece. Then the other one is really the business case, so really talking about partnering with other partners, different kinds of uses, things like that.”
These changes are the result of the Chehalis School District building two new elementary schools — James W. Lintott Elementary for Pre-K through second grade and Orin Smith Elementary for grades 3-5.
Although students have already started school at James W. Lintott Elementary, Orin Smith Elementary is still under construction and set to be completed this spring.
Previously, elementary grades were housed by Cascade (K-1), R.E. Bennett (2-3) and Olympic (4-5).
Rothlin said that the district plans to keep the Olympic Elementary School building.
“It is yet to be determined what the complete use of that is going to be,” Rothlin said. “We would like to move transportation over to that part of town. … We are going to probably move technology over there, just other special services — student support is going to move over there. So other district departments will start to fill it. … We have been contacted by other educational groups that might be interested in leasing space.”
Rothlin said the district will finish moving students to the new schools before departments potentially move to the Olympic Elementary School building. He also noted that students and families will not notice any disruption during the feasibility study.
