Laboratory School sells at auction for $286,000
The former Laboratory Elementary School was sold at auction on Tuesday for $286,000.
Trinity Area School Board directors approved the sale at their regular meeting on Thursday.
The 25,306-square-foot brick school building and 3.7-acre property it sits on were purchased by Kelsall Properties LLC.
Kelsall Properties initially was approved by the school district in July to purchase the school and property at 99 Manse St. in South Strabane Township for $200,000, pending court approval.
However, the proposed sale was blocked in the Washington County Court of Common Pleas, with a judge citing a substantial difference – 87.5% – between the proposed sale price and the appraised value in 2022 of the school and land. According to Washington County real estate records, the building had an assessed value of $1.73 million while the land was valued at $392,500.
The buyer, Thomas Kelsall of Claysville, said he plans to convert the school into luxury apartments.
“We’re excited about it,” Kelsall said. “We’re a little disappointed that we had to go this route, but at the end of the day we’re happy to acquire it. Our plans are to turn (the building) into exceptionally nice apartments, in a nice location with access to the highway.”
For Trinity, selling the school was a cost-saving measure. The school district spent about $80,000 annually to maintain the building, and it also requires asbestos remediation.
Trinity ceased using the school in February 1995. For several years, the building, adjacent to Billy Bell Park, was leased to Intermediate Unit 1 for educational programs until July 2022, when the regional education agency moved to its McMurray campus.
The school district garnered a 43% profit from the auction, versus the original proposed sale.
Said Trinity School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Lucas, “We are excited that the purchaser has plans for upscale apartments that will positively contribute to the community and provide additional revenue sources for South Strabane and the Trinity Area School District.”
The closing is slated for the end of November.