NEENAH, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Neenah school board has rejected an offer to redevelop the Shattuck Middle School property.
JG Special Projects, LLC and Lakeside Development Company offered the district $530,000 for the school, which is closing this year, and the grounds.
The proposal would have created 118 housing units on the site: 70 single-family apartments, 24 townhouses and 24 duplexes.
According to a district news release, the board considered the offer in a special closed-session meeting on Wednesday.
The board decided that, while Lakeside’s offer was $30,000 more than a competing offer from Northpointe, the Lakeside offer included the tennis courts and adjacent parking lot, which are not for sale. The offer also removed the district’s Health and Wellness Clinic with no plan for relocating it or compensating the district.
The board also decided the proposal did not address neighborhood concerns about housing density, multifamily housing and green space. The board also felt the offer did not address or align with the city’s 2040 comprehensive plan calling for a range of housing types for all income levels.
The board was also concerned about changes to Lakeside’s original plan and the company releasing the plans publicly before giving the board a chance to review them.
The district currently has an accepted offer from Northpointe, though the city has so far refused to rezone the property to allow the development, citing neighbors’ concerns.
