Board hears DT Spade update on marketing former high school, moratorium cited as main obstacle

DT Spade representatives told the board the listing for the former high school on East George Street has garnered meaningful interest but that a development moratorium and unresolved site conditions are suppressing offers. "We've had about 5,000 people that have come and perused," a DT Spade representative said, adding that roughly 50 parties have directly contacted the brokerage and that around 5–6 appear to be strong candidates.

The presenters said buyers range from commercial developers and private school systems to institutional users and curious neighbors, but they cautioned that no serious developer will commit until entitlements and utilities—particularly water—are clarified. "Until we have water on the site, the only person that would buy it would be a land speculator," one presenter told the board, urging the district to be decisive about non‑negotiable conditions and to act quickly when the moratorium lifts. As a tactical option, the firm offered using a timed auction platform with a reserve price to create urgency and capture competitive bids, noting auctions can require immediate deposits and close within 60 days.

Why it matters: the board was presented with concrete marketing metrics and options for accelerating a sale; trustees asked about timelines and pricing, and the brokerage recommended preparing clear deal conditions now so the district can move swiftly when development constraints change. No formal direction or decision to sell by auction was taken during the session.