*UPDATE: On Tuesday, February 21 at its meeting, the Grand Rapids Board of Education voted to take more time to consider the proposals received. The board is now extending the date to approve or reject bids for the Kensington School until May 31, 2023.
Resolution Extending Time to Accept/Reject Bids
*Editors Note: Previously published information incorrectly stated the address of the property. It has now been corrected.
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (GRPS) — The Grand Rapids Board of Education is accepting bids for the use and/or purchase of the building formerly known as Kensington School.
As part of the district’s Facilities Master Plan, the Board has recommended the building be taken down to allow the property to be used in a new way because of the poor condition of the structure. Prior to moving forward with the recommendation, the Board is seeking to determine whether there is a person or entity interested in purchasing or leasing the building.
The building is located at 1031 Kensington Ave. SW in Grand Rapids. Interested parties should review the published Notice of Conditions of the Bid and Sale of Property for the site.
Bids will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. on February 1, 2023. Bid materials can be delivered to 1331 Martin Luther King Jr. Street SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49506 or emailed to Alex Smart, Executive Director of Facilities and Operations, at SmartA@grps.org.
“Our primary goal for this process is to determine if there are viable projects on the table for the property that meet community needs or needs of the City as a whole,” Board President Raynard Ross said. “We will move forward judiciously and obtain input from area residents before making any final decisions. We understand how important it is to do this right.”
The Board is expected to consider both purchase and lease proposals for the building during the Board of Education meeting on February 21. The meeting is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m.at the district administration building located at 1331 Martin Luther King Jr. Street SE.
Inquiries from interested parties should be directed to Alex Smart, Executive Director of Facilities and Operations, at SmartA@grps.org or 616-819-3010.
Media inquiries should be directed to Leon Hendrix, Executive Director of Communications and External Affairs, at HendrixL@grps.org.
