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School Board Ready To Sell Old Molino School To County For Library And Community Center
April 22, 2009
A library and community center for Molino made a major move toward becoming a reality Tuesday night when the Escambia County School Board formally agreed to sell the old Molino Elementary School to the county.
The school board will make an offer to sell the property to the Escambia County Commission for $400,000. The funds will be used by the school board in their Local Capital Improvement Fund.
The county has attempted to acquire the old Molino Elementary and Wedgewood Middle properties from the school board for several months.
In July, the county commission offered the school board $2 million for both unused school campuses, but that offer was shot down by the school district. Then-superintendent Jim Paul made a $3.3 million counter offer that the county commission did not accept. The $3.3 million was broken down as $2.9 million for the Wedgewood property and $400,000 for the old Molino School property.
Plans call for the old Molino 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.
The library portion of the project is currently ranked number three in Florida for a half million dollars in funding from the state. The grant, if awarded, would require the county to use the facility as a library in Molino for a minimum of 20 years.
The half million dollar grant, if awarded, would be matched by another half million from the county. The county’s portion is already approved, using Local Option Sales Tax funds.
The Molino 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 above: An aerial view of the old Molino Elementary School property on Highway 95A.
Comments
6 Responses to “School Board Ready To Sell Old Molino School To County For Library And Community Center”
FINALLY!!! I’m so glad someone has finally decided to do something w/this school.Our children in molino need somewhere to go…and something to do out here to keep them out of trouble….thanks to everyone that made this happen and hopefully follow through.
I firmly agree that Albert Rudd deserves a lot of credit for this and yes he did stay on me about this project. Albert was a very good friend who helped me so much with campaigns and many other things. But there are other people who helped make this happen. The Molino community has lost a very good man who cared deeply about this community and the county, It is my honor to have been counted as one of Alberts friends. I hope my community understands what a true advocate for the people he was. I truly miss him and his contributions.
The late Albert Rudd was the first person and the one who stayed on Kevin White to have a community center in Molino. Mr. Rudd begun personally fighting for this over 7 years ago. So Kudos to Mr. Rudd (RIP) and his dedication to his community.
Well, I really can’t see why we should give kudos to Mr. White. I believe that should be for the people who really had something to do with it though I don’t know who they are. This will be nice for the Molino area and perhaps they will also offer voting at this site when we have elections. I know many who are unhappy with having to drive from Molino over to Barrineau Park to vote also would be safer for our older drivers who don’t need to deal with that crazy 29 intersection.
Yippee! This will be a great asset for this area. Hopefully it won’t take as long to get it up and running as it did for the School Board and County to make their deal. Shouldn’t kudos be given to Commissioner White?
It would be wonderful tohave a community meeting place. The old school has so much history. We really need a library in this area. Hope the powers that be can make it happen. I’ll have my name on the volunteer list.