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Cary District 26 to reject bid for Maplewood site

For a district hoping to slim down by $4 million over the next three years, $1.8 million to $3 million could sure help.

That's how much Cary Elementary District 26 is hoping to get from selling the Maplewood School property. Maplewood closed this year because of declining enrollment.

But when the district opened a bid meeting for the property this month, only one bidder showed up. The bid, from the Cary Park District, was for $510,000.

Because the offer came in much lower than the estimated value of the property, administration recommended this week that the board reject the bid and the board seems likely to accept that recommendation.

“I absolutely agreed not to sell it at that price,” District 26 Board President Chris Spoerl said. “That was a first foray into the market by the park district.”

Park District Executive Director Dan Jones did not return a call seeking comment.

District 26 will now work with all interested parties including a developer who has expressed interest in the site to sell the property at a fair price.

“If there's a potential to sell it to another government body, that's one thing we're looking into,” board member Chris Jenner said, adding that the park district has not been ruled out. “That's one group that the administration will be talking to. We already work with the park district on a number of issues.”

Maplewood School has a number of baseball fields that are currently used by Cary Grove Youth Baseball and Softball. The fields could make the site attractive to the park district.

The sale of the Maplewood property is up for discussion and action at Monday's District 26 board meeting at 7 p.m. at Cary Junior High School.