Earlier this year Smithtown officials expressed an interest in purchasing the 13-acre New York Avenue property owned by the local school district. The land, which comprises play fields and a historic house, was to be used to house several municipal offices that are presently scattered around downtown Smithtown.
An email received September 11 from a district spokesperson reiterated what the Board of Education’s attorney had included in an August letter to Matt Jakubowki, Smithtown’s lawyer. It stated:
“The Board of Education has made no decision as to what direction it wishes to pursue with respect to the New York Avenue property.”
At the September 5 Town Board meeting, Councilman Tom McCarthy stated his take on the district’s present position by claiming:
“They don’t want to sell to us.”
The town had the property appraised and the results were $6.6m in its current state, or $6.9m if the administration building and annex on the property were to be demolished prior to possession.
A deal with the Tennessee-based developer last year would have reaped $14.8m for the district. However, the sale fell through before the business Forms could be signed, and residents of the neighborhood had objected to the 252-apartment complex planned for the site.
Get a Free Quote for Forms