by Tracy McCue, Sumner Newscow — A deal for Garrison Properties of Prairie Village, Kans. to purchase the Wellington Junior High building and turn it into apartment complexes appears to have fallen through – at least for a year.

The Wellington school board learned from Wellington Superintendent Rick Weiss at tonight’s school board meeting that the company did not garner enough points in its financing application to qualify for governmental housing tax credits and therefore will not be purchasing the junior high building this year.

Gary Hassenflu did tell Weiss the company would be interesting in looking into trying the whole process over next year. 

In the meantime, the Wellington school board had received an unsolicited sealed bid from an unnamed company who wanted to purchase the building and then demolish it for parts.

The board didn’t like that idea, not so much because of the proposal but because the bid came in unsolicited. USD 353 Board president Jackie Berryman did open the sealed bid at the meeting, but she did not comment on how much it was or who from.

As for the apartment development, Hassenflu was hoping to build 42 units, targeted toward families, which would contain several amenities including off-street parking, on-site leasing office, tenant storage, a new central heat/air unit(s) and various household appliances.

The tentative name for the project was “The Old School Lofts.” The apartments are proposed for one bedroom costing tenants $450 a month; two bedrooms for $550, three bedrooms for $650.

Hassenflu had visited the Wellington City Planning Commission and City Council and had their approval.