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District proposes selling two properties — Centennial School site and a Chavez-area triangle — at October public hearing
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Summary
District staff asked the Salem‑Keizer School Board on Sept. 9 to declare surplus two district properties — the former Centennial School site in Keizer and a triangular parcel purchased with the Chavez Elementary project — and to consider selling them pending updated appraisals at an October meeting.
Salem-Keizer School District staff told the board on Sept. 9 that two district-owned properties are being recommended for surplus declaration and possible sale: the former Centennial School site in Keizer and a triangular parcel adjacent to Cesar Chavez Elementary that includes wetlands and a stream.
What staff presented: Paul Odenthal, chief operations officer, said the Centennial property is a 13,000‑square‑foot building on less than two acres that was last used as a school in 1994 and is in poor condition; access for vehicles is via an easement through a neighboring church and the district does not own the parking area. Odenthal said the building’s age and condition make it “no purpose…for the school district for future education and property requirements.”
The Chavez-area parcel: Odenthal described the second parcel as land purchased in 2012 during the Chavez Elementary project that was not needed for the school; the triangle includes about an acre of wetlands and a stream and was never used for the school. He said the district intends to return to the board in October to request authorization to put both properties on the market.
Estimated values and intended use of proceeds: Odenthal said broker estimates (about two years old) put the Chavez parcel in the “neighborhood of $350,000 to $400,000” and the Centennial property at approximately “$1.2 to $1,500,000.” He said the district would reassess values before listing and that proceeds would be placed into the district’s capital fund (referred to as the “418 account” in discussion).
Board member questions and zoning: Directors asked about ownership of the parking easement at Centennial and potential future zoning of the Chavez parcel; staff said the parcel was annexed into the city and would likely require rezoning by an eventual buyer and that a housing development was a likely outcome but not guaranteed.
Next steps: Staff will reassess market value ahead of the October second reading and potential sale authorization; the board did not vote on sale at the Sept. 9 meeting, which recorded the items as first readings.
Clarifying note: The transcript identifies estimated values as broker estimates about two years old; staff said they will request updated appraisals before any sale.
