There’s Still A Plan To Turn Old Molino School Into Community Hub

May 21, 2008

A top priority of Escambia County is the acquisition of the old Molino Elementary School from the county’ school board, but the plan has run into a few snags.

Plans call for the school to become a community hub, possibly including a 5,000 square foot library, a museum highlighting Molino history, a small health clinic, a business incubator, renovation of the gym and one additional building for community events and private party rental along with other uses.

County Administrator Bob McLaughlin told a crowd at a budget meeting in Molino Tuesday night that funding was an issue.

“Right now, that is a number one priority for Commissioner (Kevin) White,” McLaughlin said. “But there are a few issues that have come up.”

County and school board appraisals of the property have varied by about $200,000. An in-depth inspection reveal termite damage, dry rot and structural damage that was not previously known. The damage appears to be old and not from the Molino tornado earlier this year, McLaughlin said.

“It will take $4 million to bring it up to code,” the county administrator said. That is in addition to the school board’s $400,000 asking price for the property.

A plan had been floated where the school would transfer ownership from the Escambia County School District to the Board of County Commissioners and allow the school district to use the Pensacola Civic Center ( a county facility) rent-free for 10 years for high school graduations. The school district currently pays $40,000 a year for use of the civic center. But McLaughlin said that plan was not accepted by the school district.

To make matters worse, the county has lost a grant that would have been used to turn a portion of the building into a library.

But the county is still pursing the property, he said, looking for possible private and foundation funding sources.

The school closed in 2003 when the new Molino Park Elementary School consolidated Molino Elementary and Barrineau Park Elementary.

The school, which sits on nine acres along County Road 95A, first opened in 1939.

Pictured below: A 2006 aerial view of the old Molino Elementary School.

Comments

Comments are closed.

Written by William Reynolds · Filed Under News