Tecumseh Public Schools board approves sale of two closed school buildings to local investors

TECUMSEH, Mich. — On an April 2025 special meeting held at 6 p.m., the Tecumseh Public Schools Board of Education voted to sell two closed district buildings — Patterson Intermediate Learning Center, 401 N. Van Buren St., and Harrick Park Intermediate Learning Center, 600 Harrick Park Drive — to ZB Investments LLC and Timandia LLC, respectively, for $150,000 each and authorized Superintendent Matthew Hilton to execute the purchase agreements and closing documents.

The sales resolve offers the district received over spring break and follow an earlier attempt to market the properties. Superintendent Matthew Hilton said the district also received an informal offer on both buildings for a combined $60,000 but that two formal, cash offers from out-of-area companies based in Adrian, Michigan, were submitted with attorney-drafted addenda and signed by the buyers.

"I do believe that we have two really nice offers on these properties that the board should consider," Superintendent Matthew Hilton told trustees before the votes. He said each purchase agreement includes an addendum designating the buildings to be sold "as is," and that buyers had agreed to an initial acceptance deadline that was later extended to Friday, April 4, at 8 p.m.

Nut graf: The board said selling the two vacant buildings would remove liability and recurring upkeep costs from district books while returning property to the local tax rolls. Trustees and staff said deferred capital needs and falling enrollment made retention financially unsustainable; board members estimated capital repairs of roughly $1,500,000 per building and said added code upgrades could be required if a closed building remains unused for more than a year.

Details of offers and financial context The board packet included the purchase agreements and signed addenda for the two buyers and the informal Los Angeles-area letter offering $60,000 on both properties. Trustees and staff described the formal offers from ZB Investments LLC (Patterson) and Timandia LLC (Harrick Park) as cash proposals for $150,000 each, totaling $300,000. The addenda included attorneys' language that the properties would transfer in "as is" condition; the agreements give the buyers 30 days to close once final documents are executed.

Trustees and staff described each building's immediate capital needs at about $1.5 million; they cautioned that additional work would be required to meet state rules if a building remains closed for more than a year, including fire suppression upgrades and other code work. Superintendent Hilton and staff also said both buildings contain asbestos requiring abatement.

Preschool and program questions Board members discussed whether Patterson could be repurposed for preschool or other district uses. Trustees and staff said converting Patterson to an early-childhood site would require additional accessibility and site upgrades — sinks and toilets lowered to child height, fenced age-appropriate playgrounds and playground equipment that can cost tens of thousands of dollars — and that one trustee had been given a district estimate of roughly $1 million to $1.5 million to make Patterson suitable for preschool classrooms, not including the building repairs already needed.

District staff said the Great Start Readiness Program (GSRP) enrollment and placement are handled by the intermediate school district (ISD) and that, as of the meeting, there was no preschool wait list. Staff described preschool operations as generally budget-neutral when placed in an existing, appropriately outfitted site.

Public comment and trustee concerns A resident who lives across the street from Patterson urged safeguards to prevent the property from becoming a blight if redevelopment stalls and asked the district to coordinate with the city on zoning and safeguards. "How about something gets done with it? Again, there's guardrails and tape guards put into place to make sure something like that doesn't just sit empty and become a blight across the street from my house," the resident said during public comment.

Trustee Heather McGee said she supported selling the properties in principle but voiced concern that the purchase agreements lacked specific safeguards such as a signage or property-maintenance addendum. "I do feel that the agreements are lacking a few things, including the signage addendum, and some of these safeguards," McGee said, and asked for a formal redevelopment plan or presentation from prospective buyers to show the community the decision was prudent.

Board action and votes at a glance - Patterson Intermediate Learning Center (401 N. Van Buren St.) — Buyer: ZB Investments LLC. Motion: authorize sale and direct Superintendent Matthew Hilton to execute the purchase agreement and related documents. Vote: 5–1 (Aye: Greg Lewis [chair], Tim Simpson, Becky Brooks, Darren Miller, Lynn Davis; Nay: Heather McGee). Outcome: approved.

- Harrick Park Intermediate Learning Center (600 Harrick Park Drive) — Buyer: Timandia LLC. Motion: authorize sale and direct Superintendent Matthew Hilton to execute the purchase agreement and related documents (substantially in the form attached) and take actions necessary to close, subject to legal review. Vote: unanimous (6–0). Outcome: approved.

Board members who supported the sales said the transactions remove maintenance liabilities from district finances, return property to the tax rolls and provide opportunities for redevelopment. Several trustees said the offers and the buyers' local ties made these transactions preferable to leaving the buildings vacant. Trustee Darren Miller and others said the funds would help district programs but would not by themselves solve structural budget issues tied to enrollment decline.

Next steps and conditions Both resolutions authorize Superintendent Matthew Hilton, or his designee, to execute purchase agreements substantially in the form provided and to sign closing documents, with any final revisions subject to review by the district's legal counsel. Trustees discussed the possibility of hosting a community event or open house before closing; Superintendent Hilton said he would have that conversation with the buyers.

The board also noted a history of efforts to market the properties: an earlier bid packet was promoted statewide and via a broker at TRU, with an initial February 28 response deadline that produced no offers. The board has discussed the buildings and sale options since the prior fall, and trustees said the sales resolve a long-running discussion about right-sizing the district amid declining birth rates and projected enrollment.

Ending Superintendent Hilton will proceed as the board's designee to finalize sale paperwork and close the transactions. Trustees said they expect the buyers to pursue redevelopment and that the district will coordinate with the city where appropriate; any redevelopment that requires city approvals or significant financing will be subject to actions by those external parties.