Lee Pulaski, lpulaski@shawanoleader.com
Leader Photo by Lee Pulaski Shawano School Board President Julie Van Dyck signs the sale documents for the former Lincoln Elementary School during Monday’s board meeting. The sale is official as of Wednesday.
The sale of the former Lincoln Elementary School closes Wednesday. The Shawano School Board approved final sale documents Monday night.
The documents signed by Julie Van Dyck, School Board president, and clerk Diane Hoffman give Commonwealth Development Corporation, a Fond du Lac-based company, full ownership of the building that was recently named to the state and federal historic registers.
Marissa Downs, senior vice president of development for Commonwealth, was on hand to accept the documents.
“I can’t believe that it’s time to close, but it’s time to close,” Downs said. “We’re just getting a couple of last minute things together, this one being a big one, and then we close on Wednesday, and then we can start construction.”
Commonwealth plans to construct 16 apartments in the building, plus an additional eight cottage units elsewhere on the property. They would be two- to three-bedroom, low-income homes.
Work inside the school, which was supposed to start in the fall, will commence soon, while the individual cottages are expected to be built in spring.
The 31,826-square-foot Lincoln School was built in 1924. It was retired in 2010 after Hillcrest Primary School was completed and students were moved there and to the remodeled Olga Brener Intermediate School.
Van Dyck said it was a privilege to sign on behalf of the district, noting the school’s strong foundation in the community.
“My children all went through Lincoln School, and my father went to Lincoln,” she said.
Downs said Commonwealth hopes to have a grand opening once the apartments are finished to show off the work.
“I’ll be looking forward to taking everyone through,” she said.
The development was one of two rural projects in Wisconsin to receive low-income housing funds totaling $2.86 million over 10 years.