Wildwood city commissioners are pondering the idea of purchasing the old North Sumter Primary School site.
The 11.5-acre property, located at 104 N. Warfield Ave., has a price tag of $1.66 million and could be used to house various departments as the city continues to grow.
If a deal is reached to purchase the property, the city’s water and wastewater departments could become the first tenants in the 22,000 square feet of available space, as both have outgrown their existing facilities. The Public Works Headquarters is adjacent to the site, so the potential exist to have water, wastewater, fleet services and public works all housed at one central location, commissioners learned at their Monday morning meeting.
City Manager Jason McHugh said the Sumter County School Board has an interest in working with the city on the acquisition, with initial discussions centered on a lease-to-own arrangement where the city would pay $170,000 per year for 10 years.
Commissioners clearly were intrigued with the possibility of acquiring the site and authorized City Attorney Ashley Hunt to prepare contract language for the acquisition. Commissioners also approved funds for McHugh to complete the due diligence process – inspection, environmental analysis, etc. – on the site.