Everything must go… and once all the old stuff is gone, something new will go in its place.
Every single item inside the former Garfield Elementary School in Moline is up for auction on Saturday, November 14th, 2015 starting at 10am. The stash includes desks, chairs, laptops, iPods, kitchen appliances, and more. The doors open at 9am.
“It’s going to be a big auction,” said Auctioneer of Bloomberg Auction, Jon Bloomberg. “It’s a great event for people are into homeschooling, preschools, day cares or for guys who want something in their man cave, something for their shop.”
“There’s really something for everyone,” he added.
For more information on the auction, click here.
Meanwhile, plans are in the works to add on and transform the buildings into affordable housing for seniors. Jeff Anderson, City Planner for the City of Moline, said on Friday, November 13th, 2015 that Gorman and Company is hoping to start its 3rd project in Moline in 10 years.
“Gorman has been a great partner to work with in the community,” he said. “They’ve done quality work. They’ve done what they said they were going to do. They’re really good people to work with, so we’re excited to have them interested in the Garfield project.”
Anderson said Gorman plans to add a 3-story 23,650 square foot addition to the east side of the main building, which is 24,000 square feet and was built in 1901. The transformation also includes the south building, which is 14,200 square feet and was built in 1955.
“I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for the community to have a historic building of that stature available for re-purposing especially for residential use in a residential neighborhood,” he said.
The project includes 57 apartments, which is comparable to the other projects Gorman has completed in Moline. In 2006, the developer turned the old Moline High School Lofts on 16th Street into 60 apartments. In 2012, Gorman opened 69 apartments on the corner of 19th Street and River Drive.
Right now, Gorman is trying to secure financing. According to Anderson, the developer is applying for low-income housing tax credits through the Illinois Housing Development Authority, or IHDA. Anderson said the Committee of the Whole and City Council has unanimously approved Moline’s Mayor to write a letter endorsing the project, which will be shown with the IHDA application.
“It shows support and it also is – more or less – a necessary item in terms of the application for funding at IHDA to demonstrate community support and with projects,” said Anderson. “Real estate projects – being as complex as they are today – it’s not uncommon to have several or multiple sources of funding coming into a project.”
Once that application is approved, Anderson said the project will be able to move forward and people could start seeing changes after the new year.
