TCAPS' Bertha Vos attracts new offers
May 14—TRAVERSE CITY — The Traverse City Area Public Schools Board of Education reviewed a pair of new offers Monday for the former Bertha Vos Elementary School.
New Hope Church and Christ the King Catholic Church both have expressed an interest in the property at 3723 Shore Road in Williamsburg.
New Hope is offering $800,000. Church officials said they are interested in using the building as a daycare center for its church community, with the possibility of eventually expanding that center to serve the Acme community.
Scott Hardy, of Coldwell Banker Commercial Schmidt Realtors, said the church "sees great value in the gymnasium, which would allow space for activities."
In addition, Christ the King Catholic Church, which neighbors the property, has expressed an interest, but has yet to submit a formal offer.
Hardy said it's unclear what the church intends to use the space for, but future discussions will be taking place. He said church officials told him they needed to pray about it.
"My suggestion," Hardy told school board members at their Monday regular meeting, "is that you give myself and Dr. VanWagoner another 30 days to get more specific answers.
"May 15 is the current deadline for New Hope Church, but we could work to get that extended so that we seek clarification on what they'd like to do."
No decision was made Monday on any offer, but the school board approved a motion to allow Superintendent John VanWagoner to enter negotiations with both parties, and any future interested parties.
"I think, whatever direction we take, we want sit with down with the neighbors and township to make sure the district does not go down a road that is a dead-end. We want to make sure everyone is transparent," VanWagoner said.
The former elementary school, which has been standing vacant, is primarily used for storage.
The initial asking price for the building, which was listed for sale in 2022, was $775,000. However, on Hardy's advice, the board voted last month to raise the asking price $1 million. Hardy, a former school board member, is the district's real estate agent.
"Increasing the asking price will allow the board to narrow in on potential candidates," he had said. "The reason I suggest $1 million is because it's an equilibrium between the two or three offers that I've gotten so far."
Acme Township initially had planned to buy the building and turn it into a community center, but later dropped out as a buyer.
Last December, the board had voted to sell the 35,320-square-foot building to SH East Bay Commons North LLC for $1,225,000 million — a half-million over the asking price. That potential buyer had plans to use the property for residential purposes. Then, after intense community feedback, the buyer backed out and the sale fell through.
One Acme resident said she and her neighbors hope the sale wouldn't increase traffic through the neighborhood. "We want it respected and not negatively impacted by a new owner."
Another resident said he didn't think the district should sell a property that was donated to it. "The idea of that property being sold for development is disappointing," he said. "It was donated, and I think it's morally and ethically wrong.
"If you feel that have to sell it, then I would hope that you would include us in the process."
Scott Newman-Bale, TCAPS board president, said the board doesn't want residents to have the impression that it's not listening to the wishes of the community. "We are happy to hear what the community wants."
Bertha Vos is the second building to be offered for sale by the TCAPS district in the last year. The board also approved the sale of the 111-year-old Ida Tompkins building to Boardman Building LLC for $750,000 for the development of a market-rate housing project.
District administration is currently moving from that location into the Glenn Loomis building on South Oak Street, and expected to complete that transition by the end of this month.
