Auction Ends Plans for Senior Housing at Former School
By Marlana Smith
A proposed 48-unit senior housing development at the former Shelbina Elementary School will not be to moving forward after learning the building’s owner plans to put the property up for auction.
The Northeast Community Action Corporation, ND Consulting Group and Select Development had planned to submit an application to the Missouri Housing Development Commission for the project at 111 W. College St. in Shelbina.
Brent Engel, NECAC public relations officer, contacted a Shelby County Herald reporter Tuesday, July 7, and said NECAC had just learned from the realtor that the California-based owner of the former school plans to put the property up for auction sometime in September.
“We do not have a date yet,” Engel said. “But that kind of kills any hopes we had of converting it to apartments.”
When asked whether NECAC could bid on the property at auction, Engel said it would be difficult because funding is not yet in place.
“We can, but we don’t have the funding in place to do that,” Engel said. “We don’t have the money up front to do that.”
Engel said the organizations had hoped to reach some type of agreement with the owner and then seek state funding for the project.
“We understand the owner can’t wait two months to see if the state comes through with the funding,” Engel said. “We are disappointed, but we certainly understand that this is the way things go.”
Engel said NECAC will look for any possible remedy, but the project does not appear likely to proceed at this time.
“If there is any kind of remedy for it, we’ll search for it, but right now the project will not go forward,” Engel said. “It would have been a great investment for the community and county. It’s a shame we couldn’t make it happen, but sometimes things don’t come through.”
Engel said NECAC remains committed to working on affordable housing needs in the area.
“We will continue all of our efforts to try and increase the availability of affordable, safe housing in our region because we all know it’s a huge concern,” he said.
