A perfect deal comes undone
AT FIRST BLUSH, IT
seemed like the perfect combination.
Plymouth Utilities was looking for a large parcel of land, preferably somewhere on the southern edge of the city, to build a new facility that would combine their offices, garage and storage operations.
The Plymouth School District, meanwhile, owned a 20-plus acre parcel of land at the corner of South Milwaukee Street and Hill and Dale Road.
The district had originally purchased the Davis property years ago with the goal of eventually building a new elementary school there when the time was right.
However, budget crunches, financial constraints and flattening enrollments combined to make the right time fade further and further into the dim recesses of the future. The district was forced to put their land on the market rather than continue to sit on for an increasingly larger stretch of time.
Thus, the city and Plymouth Utilities put in a bid for the Davis property about a year ago.
It seemed a serendipitous solution for all involved.
The school district had a willing buyer ready to take the land off their hands.
Plymouth Utilities had a good location, easily accessible to its customers and suitable for its purposes.
As so often is the case, however, closer examination disclosed a number of flaws — detailed in a story elsewhere in today’s issue — in the Davis property that proved fatal to its suitability for Plymouth Utilities and transformed the Steinhardt property at the corner of County PP and South Street into a less expensive, more reasonable alternative — which the city and Plymouth Utilities, wisely opted to follow.
School district officials, understandably, were disappointed to see what they felt was a done deal fall apart. They should understand, though, that the city and Plymouth Utilities had to make the decision that would be the wisest use of public funds in building a new building.
It sends the school district back to square one with the Davis property, but the district has already begun remarketing the property. With the economy slowly recovering, there may be cautious optimism that the parcel will not remain on the market too long and the district will be able to realize a good price for the land.
Another good deal is certain to come along.
At issue: Something or other Bottom line: Do something about it
