Thursday, May 28, 2009

Two developers have submitted proposals for the vacant Harris School, which the Monroe County School Board will mull at its meeting today in Key West.

The 1.4-acre parcel at Southard and Margaret streets last was assessed at $11.1 million.

Developer Peter N. Brawn has offered to buy it for $3.5 million, but the meeting agenda and supporting documents do not reveal his plans for the property.

Carlisle Development Group has proposed a land swap in which the developer would pay to renovate the building and move all the school district's administrative offices into it. The developer then would build an affordable housing project at the school's five-acre Trumbo Road site. Though plans call for 16 units per acre, it is unclear on how many acres the developers would build.

Carlisle also would need for the city of Key West to sell its adjacent one-acre parcel, which would be used for parks and infrastructure, and rezone the property.

"The Trumbo Road site then becomes ideal for redevelopment as a mixed-use site," Carlisle CEO Matthew Greer wrote in his proposal, including "affordable/work-force, deed-restricted housing, market-rate housing, and other commercial/public improvements."

Carlisle has built affordable housing in Key West, including the Meridian West complex on Stock Island.

Board member Debra Walker said it was too early for her to make a decision on the proposals, but remarked that the district has played "musical chairs with our Key West facilities."

Homeowners around the Harris School have made it clear they don't welcome increased automobile traffic, Walker said.

"We haven't been able to get consensus in the community and the school district on the reality of managing a historic building," Walker said. "The neighborhood specifies that they don't want a lot of traffic, and that eliminates a lot of options. We have to see how the dominoes fall to see if it makes any sense for the district to move forward on it."

Board member Steve Pribramsky said Brawn's offer of $3.5 million is not close to what the land and building are worth.

"I can't imagine any reason to sell this property for this low," he said.

Board Chairman Andy Griffiths agreed: "This is not a good time to sell," he said. "The economy, last time I looked, has everything for sale. People don't make any money buying high and selling low."

Auditor's report

Board members will decide how to respond to a Florida Auditor General's Office preliminary audit that outlines where internal financial controls failed.

Former Adult Education Coordinator Monique Acevedo was criminally charged with stealing $180,000 in cash-only fees from the cosmetology department, which she oversaw.

Evidence is mounting that she also used her school district credit card and reimbursements to buy personal items and airline tickets, officials say.

The report says the Finance Department did not approve large purchases, the district did not have a policy for employees to report fraud, and some employees did not get supervisory approval before purchasing items, and turned in receipts months after they were required to submit them.

jguerra@keysnews.com