The Tecumseh Public Schools Board of Education voted unanimously Aug. 25 to sell the Patterson Intermediate Learning Center at 401 N. Van Buren St. to Patterson 1953 LLC for a one‑time purchase price of $150,000. Superintendent Matthew Hilton told trustees the buyer will receive the building “as is” and accept responsibility for property taxes and long‑term liabilities.
The district will lease the building back to the district for $1 during the lease term, which terminates Aug. 28, 2026, and during that time the district will remain responsible for utilities, snow removal, mowing and basic security, Hilton said. The purchase agreement in the board packet sets a firm closing date of no later than Sept. 30, 2025.
The sale followed a procedural vote to suspend the board’s usual practice of discussing items at one meeting and voting the next; that suspension passed by roll call and allowed trustees to act the same evening. Trustee motion records show the amendment of the agenda, the suspension of the norm and the final resolution to authorize the sale all passed by roll call with all voting trustees recorded as “aye.”
Trustees discussed timing of inspections, rezonings and permitting contained in the purchase agreement. Trustee Darren (last name recorded in roll call as Trustee Davis) asked whether the inspector and zoning approvals required by the contract were feasible within the 15‑day inspection window; Hilton said substantial due diligence had already been completed and that the buyer and seller had negotiated the shorter inspection schedule.
The resolution authorizing the sale directs Superintendent Hilton or his designee to execute the purchase agreement “substantially in the form” attached to the board packet and to make any non‑inconsistent revisions and to sign closing documents subject to review by district legal counsel.
Board members and district staff described the sale as one part of a larger community benefit, with Hilton saying the buyer’s stated intent is to convert the building into apartment‑style flats while “maintaining the historical integrity of the neighborhood” and adding housing to the community. The buyer is identified in the packet as Patterson 1953 LLC; the purchase agreement includes a triple‑net leaseback provision and sets out the buyer’s responsibility for repairs after closing.
The board’s action completes the formal authorization to sell; no follow‑up votes were required. The district will continue to occupy the building under the nominal lease while the purchaser pursues its redevelopment plan.
Questions remain about the purchaser’s long‑term plans and whether the property might later be resold for a different use; Hilton told the board that once sold the property will be subject to the purchaser’s discretion and that neither the district nor the city requested a reverter clause in this agreement.
The vote to sell followed prior public discussion and negotiation documented in materials the district provided to trustees; the purchase agreement and the board resolution were included in the meeting packet and are subject to the district’s legal review before closing.