Carroll County Public Schools staff have recommended that the county Board of Education purchase the Kessler Building warehouse for $2 million. The school board will vote to approve or reject a memorandum of understanding establishing the conditions for the purchase during its monthly meeting Wednesday.
The 64,000-square-foot building and 3.9-acre property, at 191 Schaffer Ave. in Westminster, is owned by the Board of County Commissioners, according to the school board agenda.
The school system uses the building as a warehouse and distribution hub, for storing furniture, custodial materials and other equipment, according to the system’s website. The warehouse is also used for shredding and destroying outdated and unnecessary classified documents. The property is near the school system’s maintenance department office and Westminster West Middle School.
The building is around 50 years old and originally housed the Kessler Shoe Factory, which closed more than a decade ago. The building has been rented to various tenants but was vacant for 18 months before the county purchased it in 2021.
The commissioners agreed to pay David and Charlotte Kessler $750,000 for the property, $290,000 less than its appraised value. The building at the time needed a new roof, which would cost around $85,000.
Money for the school system’s $2 million purchase would come from the system’s fund balance, which is like a rainy-day fund.
Director of Facilities Management Raymond Prokop submitted the proposal to buy the building, and Superintendent Cynthia McCabe and Assistant Superintendent of Operations Jonathan O’Neal each approved the measure, according to the agenda item. If approved by the school board, county commissioners are expected to execute the deed and convey the property to the school system.
School board meetings are open to the public and live streamed on the Carroll County Public Schools YouTube channel and viewable on the right side of the Board of Education’s website at carrollk12.org/board-of-education/meeting-information, under CETV Livestream. Meetings are also broadcast throughout the month on Carroll Educational Television, Channel 21.
Anyone who wishes to participate during the public participation portion of school board meetings must fill out an online sign-up form at carrollk12.org/board-of-education/meeting-information or call the communications office at 410-751-3020 by 9 p.m., on the Tuesday before a meeting.
Around the Web
