The Kirkwood School District has announced a plan to purchase the J. Milton Turner Building in the Meacham Park neighborhood and move its Administrative Services Center to that location.
“We are very excited for this opportunity to invest in the Meacham Park neighborhood,” said Kirkwood School District Superintendent David Ulrich.
“In addition, this unique public-private approach is a good deal for the district and our taxpayers. It’s another example of the board of education supporting good stewardship of the community’s resources.”
The Turner Building opened in 1925 as the Meacham Park Elementary School. In 1932, the Kirkwood board of education renamed the school after Turner, a former slave and St. Louis native who became a leader in African American education.
Elementary school students attended Turner until it was closed in 1976. After being sold in 1980, it was later converted to office space and several private businesses remain as tenants.
The offices of the superintendent, community relations and development, curriculum and instruction, finance, human resources and student services will be moving into the Turner Building. Those offices will be converted to create eight additional classrooms at North Kirkwood Middle School
The district planned to build a new addition totaling 7,100 square feet at its warehouse facility at a cost of roughly $250 per square foot. The pending purchase of the J. Milton Turner Building will total $3.5 million, which is equivalent to roughly $91 per square foot. The Prop R funds originally intended for the addition will be redirected to other projects.
The district will rent part of the Turner Building to existing commercial tenants. The income will support the operating costs of the building and pay for the loan on the purchase.
