Fifteen shuttered campuses within the San Antonio Independent School District could eventually be offered up for lease.
The school district and the San Antonio Board of Realtors asked the Counselors of Real Estate’s Consulting Corps to study possible uses for the vacant buildings, the San Antonio Express-News reported. Repurposing them for healthcare, senior centers, affordable housing and community hubs were among the suggestions in the consultants’ 72-page report.
The school district wants to retain ownership of the buildings and explore leasing opportunities rather than sell them. While the properties aren’t expected to generate income, tenants could at least cover the costs of maintenance, insurance and security to avoid further financial strain on the district.
“This is likely to be a significant expense,” the consultants wrote. The district’s carrying costs for the vacant schools and how much it paid the consultant haven’t been reported.
The city of San Antonio, Bexar County, nonprofits and housing experts should be called in for potential partnerships, they recommended.
“Schools are purpose-built, and transitioning them to a new use is not simple or easy,” they wrote. “While repurposing closed schools is likely to take longer than anyone wants, partnering with external entities to benefit from their expertise is key.”
The district should demolish or sell buildings that remain vacant after a certain period, they wrote.
To keep the properties active in the short term, they could be used for community events, such as farmers markets, swap meets, community gardens, youth music nights and pop-up restaurants, the consultants wrote.
The district closed the campuses following years of declining enrollment, which has been partially driven by a shortage of affordable housing in the district. As families have moved out of the area, schools have faced reduced student populations, leading to the closure of 15 campuses, mostly elementary, and three other schools were merged into one.
The closed schools are dispersed around the city’s center, and all are inside Loop 410.
The Consulting Corps visited each closed property, surveyed the surrounding neighborhoods, and conducted interviews with 75 stakeholders, including district board members, staff, parents, city and county officials, and nonprofit executives.
The school district plans to hire another firm to guide community engagement, including hosting public meetings and gathering input on how to best use these sites.
— Andrew Terrell
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