Brookfield Board of Education has approved making an offer to the owner of Tiffany Event Center to buy the property that is next to the administrative offices and across Bedford Road from the school campus.
The offer is being made “As a way to potentially jump start the whole community learning center project,” said school Supt. Toby Gibson.
For several years, Gibson has talked about creating a community learning center that would be controlled by the school but be open to the community. As an example, it could be a public recreation center and have office space for medical and public service agencies that serve Brookfield.
In September, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce announced it had granted Brookfield more than $1.4 million from the Ohio Career Technical Education Equipment Grant Program to create an engineering and science technologies program. If the district buys the property, “Some of the grant funding we have we would be able to incorporate into that facility,” Gibson said.
While the grant money could not be used for the purchase, it could be used for renovation and equipment, he said.
Tiffany’s is owned by Tiffanies Inc., an organization controlled by the Winner family of Sharon, which also owns Tara – A Country Inn in Clark and The Winner, a clothing store in Sharon.
The Tiffany’s property covers 2.87 acres, and the building has more than 17,000 square feet, according to a posting on Loopnet.com The building was put up in 1987.
Gibson and Treasurer Jordan Weber did not reveal how much the district is offering. The Loopnet.com posting said the asking price is $990,000.
The district has general fund money and financing options for the purchase, Weber said.
District officials had trades people in roofing, electricity and heating, ventilation and air conditioning evaluate the building, Gibson said.
“There’s some items that prudently we’d want to get addressed pretty quickly, HVAC and some roof repairs,” Weber said.
The board approved the offer Oct. 30. It met in executive session for more than 40 minutes prior to taking up the motion and the discussion got loud at times, but all five members approved the offer.
School board members recently toured Campbell School District’s Community Literacy and Workforce Cultural Center and praised it. The center, which was built in phases, has a recreation center with fitness programs, college classes, medical offices and a library.
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