SLPS flags $4.7 million in five-year repairs at KIPP-controlled Pruitt and Mitchell sites; committee to consider broker listing

Saint Louis — School district staff reported to the Real Estate Committee on Aug. 18 that two properties used by KIPP — Pruitt and Mitchell — will require substantial capital repairs over the next five years and that the committee voted to engage the district broker to list the properties for disposition, pending any further board action. Staff said the Pruitt facility will need work including gym repairs, window-related water intrusion, elevator-shaft water, basement water infiltration, HVAC servicing, parking-lot repairs and interior finishes; the district estimated roughly $2,000,000 in repairs at Pruitt over the next five years. At Mitchell the district identified needed boiler replacement, concrete repairs, flooring and window-related ceiling work and estimated about $2,700,000 over five years. A staff member told the committee that KIPP is operating under contracts that place maintenance obligations on the district and that the district currently does not receive lease payments from the operator. The committee discussed the financial strain of recurring unplanned expenses and agreed in committee to list the properties with the district’s broker; committee members noted that full-board approval may be required before any sale or final listing decision. The item was presented for information and committee discussion; no final disposition or sale occurred at the Aug. 18 committee meeting.