By Charly SHELTON

Time takes a toll on everything-even buildings. After 45 years of conducting business in the Glendale Unified School District offices at 223 N. Jackson St. in Glendale, the GUSD administration is ready to make a move. Time has worn down the building and it is in need of many repairs and upgrades to bring it up to an acceptable condition. With an estimated price tag of $40 million in renovation, as well as the time that would be lost by the administration personnel, it is too big a task. This is why the GUSD board of education has elected to move to a larger building as part of a property swap.

“The GUSD board has made a thoughtful and financially intelligent decision by pursuing this property exchange. The new building will more than double the size of GUSDs administrative offices, allowing us the space to provide increased support and service to our students and families,” said Superintendent Winfred Roberson. “The new building supports our LCAP and board priority of ‘Increasing Engagement’ because it provides space for a family resource/engagement center. We would increase our parking by almost 200 spaces. Additionally, because the new building is able to house all of our departments under one roof, GUSD’s daily operations will be more efficient and less expensive.”

The 44,651 square foot building on Jackson Street is proposed to be traded for a 116,505 square foot building at 425 E. Colorado Blvd., currently owned or being purchased by San Diego-based Carmel Partners, identifying itself as “entrepreneurs and multifamily real estate experts.” The district would exchange the two properties with the district adding an additional $6.95 million in cash and $3.5 million to cover renovation costs. At a total price tag of $10-12 million, this is a much more cost-effective option that will ensure the proper conditions needed for future growth.

The proposed swap does not come without some concerns, however. One concern raised was the transfer of Daily High School, which currently shares the district office with its school campus. Transferring its location presents its own set of challenges, and not transferring presents others. With parking at the office is an ever-present challenge for both the administration and families, a new owner may make the issue more complicated. But GUSD has already planned for this possibility.

“Daily HS is not a part of the property exchange. The GUSD board and administration were very careful to make sure that Daily was protected during the real estate negotiations,” Roberson said. “Daily High School currently has 15 assigned parking spaces. Should the property exchange go through, GUSD will ensure that Daily has at least 22 available parking spaces and does not have to pay for parking permits.”

The Glendale City Council is expected to vote on approval of the switch in the coming weeks. Overall, this seems to be a win-win situation, not just for the students, families and administrators of the GUSD, but also for the other residents of Glendale who will benefit from a proposed new park that will result from the trade.

“The Board of Education passed a resolution expressing their interest in turning 0.3 acres of GUSD property into a joint-use park in partnership with the City of Glendale. The new joint-use public park would serve Daily High School students and the Glendale community, providing much-needed green space in the Downtown Glendale neighborhood surrounding the current district office,” Roberson said.

  Charly Shelton