Shown is part of the outside of the former Syracuse Elementary School on Brooklyn Street. It will be auctioned in November.
SYRACUSE — A former school building with significant history in Syracuse is scheduled to be auctioned in November. Nappanee-based Hahn Auctioneers will auction the former Syracuse Elementary School, 502 W. Brooklyn St., Monday, Nov. 4.
Real estate will be auctioned at 2 p.m. and then equipment at 3 p.m. There are four tracts to be auctioned: The 92,519 square-foot school with gym, cafeteria, offices, music room and classrooms; parking lot area that could be a potential building site with frontage on Boston Street and Brooklyn Street; a large potential building lot with frontage on Boston and Brooklyn streets; and a large potential building site with frontage on Boston Street with a 25-foot easement along the east side of this tract for access to the east side of the school building.
Equipment includes the kitchen, playground and school equipment. Kitchen equipment includes a meat slicer, meat grinder, milk coolers, electric buffet units, sink, dishwasher and more. Playground and school equipment includes swing sets, slides, spider bars, bicycle racks, lockers, metal cabinets, basketball goals and more.
The gym was part of the old Syracuse High School and was dedicated November 1955. It hosted three sectional basketball tournaments in a row from 1956 to 1958.
Dr. Tom Edington, superintendent of the Wawasee Community School Corporation, said the school corporation petitioned the state a year ago to remove the former Syracuse Elementary from the list of schools available for charter schools to purchase for $1.
“We had some parties interested in other uses for the facility at that time,” he said. “The state granted our petition after allowing charter schools a final opportunity to obtain the facility.”
A portion of the building including the gym was utilized for the old Syracuse High School from 1927 to 1968. It was then used as a junior high school from 1969 to 1990 and also as an elementary school for several years until it closed a few years ago when a new school was built on Kern Road.
“The old SES building has been kept in good shape,” Edington noted. “We are excited that the old school could have a new life.”
Open houses will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7, and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1.
For more information about the auction, call Hahn Auctioneers at (574) 773-8445 or visit hahnauctioneers.com.