"Circuit City's real estate has begun to create interest among national and regional retailers and supermarkets. There are great opportunities for schools and other non-retail uses. "
Don't do it, we say. Those stores are cursed. As soon as you move in there, they'll fire all the teachers and replace them with 11th graders who'll work part-time in exchange for minimum wage and cafeteria discount.
Circuit City Elementary School? [Blogging Stocks]
DJM Realty to Dispose of All Remaining Circuit City Real Estate in the United States (Press Release) [PR Newswire]
(Photo:Paxton Holley)
IT WAS AWESOME.
There was a Wendy's on the corner, and 7-11 on my way home. There was no cafeteria (asbestos concerns as the cafe at the main school campus was adjoined to the burned wing) so we got out early every day.
]]>A few months (not even a full school year) after it opened, it closed in disarray. He'd bought cheap, broken-down desks from salvage, spent absolutely as little as possible on stuff like books, and (if I remember correctly) either pocketed a bunch of money or couldn't account for where it went....
]]>Having school in an CC and going down to Buffalo Wild Wings for lunch, yeah that's fun.
]]>"Why?"
"Well, your grades are just...wow."
"but that's a good thing, right?"
"nope, we're replacing you for this special kid from the back woods!"
"Hai thar."
]]>2. Others, like Chandler, AZ, are in outright commercial strip. It'd be a complex zoning - and likely legal, given it's near a Red Robin and Olive Garden on a strip that forms the northern exterior corridor of a mall -matter.
3. I've read of strange building reuse. Just go to deadmalls.com or bigboxreuse.com and you'll read - and see - it happen.
]]>The sad part is America is "over stored" and many vacant retail locations will need to be converted to non-retail use as no new store is going to come along to snap up that real estate for a very long time.
]]>Our city has a school in an old Walmart building. Walmart wouldn't sell the building if it were to be used for retail purposes, so it was a win/win situation.
]]>Not an unusual suggestion. When Food Lion went under that's exactly what happened with some of their vacant buildings.
]]>When you were in the classrooms, it seemed normal. But out in the hallways, you had 50-foot high warehouse ceilings. They basically built two stories of classrooms and offices inside the existing building shell.
]]>Careful. Don't want to give Dallas ISD (or any of the others) any ideas now!
]]>There is still the issue of codes when the place was built versus current codes.
]]>When you renovate, you have to build to current codes. This is why it is usually cheaper to tear down an old school and build a new one than to gut the old one and rebuild it to code.
Also, consider that many schools, particularly elementary schools, are built to a standard plan. You don't have to either design the systems from scratch as you would be in most renovations or any conversion.
It just usually does not make any sense to do anything other than build a school as a school from the start. Oh, and is this school not going to have a PE program? Because I don't think you could pack much school into a Circuit City and still have room for a gym. Oh, and then there's the issue of land for playgrounds. You might substitute the roof, but then you've got ruggedize the hell out of that roof, and probably reinforce its supports. God, this idea just looks worse and worse the more I think about it.
]]>They did that here; when Heilig Meyers closed, they turned the building into a library with a travel theme (planes, Route 66 and a neat little "highway" path to walk on that snakes around on the carpet). A Panera hooked up to it so you can check out a book and go read while you eat your sandwich.
The only thing that sucks is that the parking lot is narrow and there is NEVER anywhere to park. It gets a lot of overflow from the retail stuff surrounding it, I think.
]]>Especially if there are laws about what can and can't be sold within X yards of a school.
Heh. One of the Circuit City stores near me (Route 40 in Rosedale, MD) is right next to an "Adult video and toy" emporium, and across the street and a block away from another.
In general, most of the CC's I can think of are either in strip malls, or next to strip malls. I can't imagine them becoming schools.
]]>Just a slight correction:
CC rented (leased) most of their locations. Realtors are not having to SELL the store locations... the realtors are trying to find tenents to RENT the stores.
]]>Walking distance to shops and restaurants too! (Until the Chili's next door turns into duplexes)
]]>On the upside, it could help stimulate the stores in the mall due to more kids hanging around and buying stuff.
More schools are definitely a good thing.
]]>You should see it now. Doesn't look like a strip mall at all, now that the university evicted the rest of the tenants and has control of the entire property.
Though it was convenient having a class and then walking two shops down to the state liquor store.
]]>My Catholic parish in North Carolina was in an empty grocery store for a while while we built a new church. We had 8 Sunday Masses and 100 standees at every Mass, but deep in the city so they had to knock down and rebuild on the same plot. Kind-of hated it, but it was only 8 months and saved a lot of money.
]]>@finite_elephant: If a Circuit City was to be converted to a secondary school, such as a vocational tech school for automotive electronics installation (just to keep it simple for the example), I don't think the same requirements would apply.
If it was a private vocational school, the wouldn't need a play area, soundproof partitions, or additonal exits (if no addtional walls are added).
At that point, it is a private corporation buying a building within which to teach people. Something I have seen done in strip malls. Granted, the topic at hand seems to imply converting them into public schools, but if we are just takling "schools" in general, then not all "schools" have the same building code requirements.
]]>I know because our district had a whole big thing about knocking down a GORGEOUS 80-year-old three-story school building to replace it with a sprawling one-floor cinderblock palace of love. For safety.
]]>How about just recycling the stores into, say, farmers' markets or such? You've gotta think some people are going to go into business for themselves after getting axed, they might need somewhere to sell their wares...
]]>Funny...I was thinking the same thing. They did that with a couple of businesses here in Seattle during the early 80s recession.
Both rinks failed. =(
]]>"But I study 4 hours a night?"
"An F will really hurt your future..."
]]>That's not a bad idea, depending on location. My son is in a charter school that used to be an HEB grocery store.
]]>@everclear75: Yeah, my sister went to the Houston Community College location that used to be a Builder's Square back in the early '90s.
]]>"The lesson for today is how to run a company to ruin!"
]]>This is typical real estate fuzzy/wishful thinking. They have a retail property that's going to be hard to move, so they'll at least make an attempt to get the local government take it over. So now the next time the local school board wants to spend money expanding or renovating their current facility, someone in the back will stand up and demand to know why they just don't use an empty Circuit City. And the school board will have to explain what a bad idea that is.
]]>@torgonius:
Well played sir!
HA! I keep asking people that are looking to buy our overpriced fixtures why they would want something that has the stink of failure on them so bad.
]]>The best use might be to make them shelters for folks who have their houses forclosed. :P
]]>@pschroeter: There is a dead mall in my area which would be great for a school location. In fact a local weekly free newspaper had two articles in it- 1 about the nearest highschool outgrowning its campus and not being in the center of its population and 2 about the dead malls chance of recreation as an "outdoor lifestyle center" given a completed in 2008 competing new "outdoor lifestyle center. It seemed like the politicans should be able to figure out that it is a win-win. I mean the mall even slated a former anchor store as the location for a new public library...
(Bellevue Center Mall, Nashville, TN)
]]>Those same 11th graders would also be happy to tell you that the education you're looking for wasn't released yet, when you know alegbra was released over 3000 years ago. At which point they'll tell you they're out of it, but that you could buy "2+2=5" for a few dollars more.
]]>@alexawesome: I'd imagine the parenting would have way more influence on consumer culture than the school. At least I hope they'd have more influence.
On a side note, a highschool near where I live is across the street from a very large mall. I know they are constantly having to deal with kids leaving campus to go over there, and skipping class to hang out over there too.
]]>Ironically, at a Board of Education meeting on Tuesday night we decided to persue commercial space that can be converted into a middle school. Unfortunately (or not) we don't have any Circuit City's in our town of 55,000.
]]>In Wake County, NC, the school district converted an old grocery store into a 9th grade center, and has a multi-year lease. By the time the lease is up, new high schools will have been built and those 9th graders will have someplace else to go.
]]>@AlteredBeast: Ahh, that makes sense.
Maybe another possibility is someone could buy it and put people in there dressed as employees, and play make believe retail. Kind of like a big doll house. I bet there's a niche market for that somewhere.
]]>Indoor demolition derby and laser tag. Bring your own car.
]]>It really depends on what kind of school...if it is a private school, or a specialized school, you may not need to do much renovation. Have maybe 3 classes going at once, and just have food brought in instead of cooked there.
If you wanted to convert it to a "real" public school, they'd want to install lockers, have some sort of cafateria, and some solid walls so sound doesn't bleed from one class to another.
It may be really a good place for a school that involves some sort of auto tech, as they have garages. The sound isolating room could be usefull too.
]]>@bohemian: And to bring it full circle - or maybe only about 270 degrees - the building that used to be my gym is being turned into a Buffalo Wild Wings. No word yet on the fate of the swimming pool and hot tub.
]]>@outoftheblew: Well, you COULD do partitions. I'd imagine they'd want to build actual walls, maybe a second floor..and probably refurb the retail-style layout into something more functional.
]]>@Canino: Yeah we have a few of those creepy strip-mall churches here in San Antonio, too.
]]>(Keep in mind, though, it was next to the side of the campus that didn't have anything built on it, so the University had to build a long walkway through the woods, with "safety phones" every 50 feet in case somebody tried to rape a co-ed.)
The think the university called it the "Southwest Annex" -- everybody else called it the "Value City Campus." I had one class there my senior year. As I recall, it just looked cheap on the inside -- like a low-budget TV show imitation of what a real university looks like.
]]>My more serious concerns though....
Most of the parking lots surrounding these stores are death traps and mugging magnets. Where on earth are kids going to have recess? Build a Gymboree next door and rent time? Or how about a McDonalds with an indoor play space?
The rent on these buildings is killer. While sure, it might be good not to own and not have to fix the roofs on them, in the long run putting the safety of kids in the hands of a commercial management company is a bad idea.
]]>I have often thought one of the more insulting things is big, giant boarded up warehouse stores and schools with kids housed in trailers for lack of space.
]]>@everclear75: The one at Potomac Mills became some DOD office. They even use all of the truck bays. Weird to have that right near the mall.
]]>@torgonius: Touche!
]]>Turn them into prisons and jails, maybe even a police station or two since they always seem to be away from the malls (in the residential areas, next to the schools)
]]>Blow a hole in a wall, put in a garage door... use it as a warehouse for all the unsold American made Autos... 2 Birds, 1 Stone
]]>@downwithmonstercable: A lot of remodeling costs? I think they'd just need to put up partitions and buy desks, chairs, and dry erase or chalkboards. And maybe expand the bathrooms (school bathrooms always seem to have a whole lotta stalls).
]]>If they are talkiing about those phoney mail order schools Like phoenix College, then yeah, it would make sense. But the store locations were built into high vehicle traffic areas. I can't think of a single politician that would consider making kids dodge cars to go to school... Well, yeah I can.
Schools are usually put in residential areas, I can just imagine how many kids would need extra money to go to school/the mall each day. What a stupid idea!
We have tons of vacant commercial real estate right now. It is getting a tad bit scary. There were bunches of strip malls and outdoor shopping complexes that were built right before the economy tanked. Combine those with the defunct big box stores and it is starting to look bad.
]]>A HORRIBLE IDEA.
]]>On the other hand, yeah, the CCs around here are really, really not in good places for schools.
Especially if there are laws about what can and can't be sold within X yards of a school.
]]>Exactly. My wife's father is an assistant superintendent for a school system in Florida that repurposes vacant retail buildings into school buildings. They recently turned an empty mall into the headquarters for the school district. It features tons of space, they get the building at a hell of a deal, and there's one less massive vacant mall in the area.
]]>1. Buy bad retail space
2. Bring in kids to run it
3. ????
4. PROFIT!!!
$80 + monster test guides
High priced candy and pop.
high pressure to get grades up even if the teachers need to help the kids cheat to meet there goals.
]]>Around here (TX), they're destined to become evangelical churches. You know, while they save money in their Building Fund.
]]>What the realtor's really saying: oh my sweet mary christ, how the hell am I supposed to sell this crap in this commercial real estate market?
]]>Maybe its me, but the area that most Circuit Cits are located is very commercial and probably not the best place for a school. Just imagine the truancy if you have 20 stores located within walking distance.
]]>I guess it could work, that'd be a lot of remodeling costs to make it school-like though. Although with all the school closures in the Seattle are, maybe this'd be a lower-cost alternative to a traditional school campus.
]]>Yeah, but most of those 11th graders would actually be able to fix your computer or tell you useful things about the electronics that used to be there.
]]>