ALLENTOWN, Pa. — The Allentown School District is preparing to sell one of its former schools.
The sale of McKinley Elementary, in the 1100 block of West Turner Street, is “impending,” according to a report from the Allentown City Planning Commission, which reviewed the site Tuesday.
District officials in 2020 closed two elementary schools — McKinley and Cleveland Elementary on Ninth Street. They were replaced by Hays Elementary School, a modern K-5 facility that opened in 2021 after a pandemic-related delay.
The new school is named in honor of Allen High alumnus Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays, who advocated for the equal treatment of women in the armed services, according to the district’s website. It was the first building in the Allentown School District named after a woman.
The Allentown School Board in June 2022 unanimously voted to sell both elementary schools via sealed bids. Two months later, it voted to instead sell those properties to nonprofits.
Ripple Community Inc. lined up to buy McKinley, while Community Action Lehigh Valley eyed Cleveland for a $20 million youth center.
Ripple Executive Director Sherri Brokopp Binder said her nonprofit hoped to build dozens of affordable housing units at McKinley Elementary.
Ripple "is not involved in any current plans" related to McKinley's sale, Binder told LehighValleyNews.com on Tuesday.
"However, we remain keenly interested, along with our community partners, in ensuring that the property is repurposed in a way that serves the needs and interests of our neighbors in Franklin Park," she said.
A spokesperson for the Allentown School District could not be reached Tuesday for details on McKinley Elementary’s “impending” sale.
The planning commission report also did not confirm plans for the property.
"Since the future use of this school has not been disclosed, [city] staff cannot comment on the sale," according to the report.
"If the property is sold, staff encourages the school district to carefully select a buyer whose intended use will be compatible with and supportive of the surrounding neighborhood," the report states.
Any proposed changes to the building — or its demolition — must be reviewed by several city boards, including Allentown City Council, due to its location in a historic district.
Youth center plans
CALV completed its $320,000 purchase of Cleveland Elementary in September 2023. The nonprofit’s new youth center is expected to include sports fields, classrooms, theater space, studio space and more.
It’s due to be completed in 2027.
Allentown City Council last September approved CALV’s petition to demolish the school, which Executive Director Dawn Godshall said had become “a magnet for crime” and “a significant risk to the community.”
Knocking down the building is “a crucial first step” to “immediately reduce crime and improve safety for the neighborhood,” Godshall said.
Repairing the almost $150 million school to current building standards would have cost about $10 million, according to the nonprofit’s estimates.
