Still no bids for old school

SOUTH RIVER — The Borough Council once again received no bids to purchase the old Middle School on Thomas Street during a second auction held recently.

The first bids were sought in May, beginning at $475,000. The second time around, the bidding began at $425,000, but still no bids were received.

Mayor Robert Szegeti said the law allows the council to negotiate proposals from private parties without the bidding process if a property has gone out for auction twice and no bids were received.

Szegeti said there were people attending the auction who were interested in buying the property, but officials wanted to see who, if anyone, would bid and how much they would bid.

"People are interested in it," Szegeti said.

The school is located in a residential zone that allows for buildings such as homes and schools. Therefore, the proposal from a potential buyer must meet the standards and specifications for a residential zone.

The mayor said he has heard rumors that there is an interest in the building being purchased for use as a private school, but he is not certain whether it would be religiously affiliated or not.

The 36,000-square-foot building is officially owned by the Board of Education, but is leased to the council. The 10-year lease agreement the council has with the board requires that the funds from the sale of the property revert back to the school board. The council will only be allowed to keep what it has spent on renovations at the facility.

Borough officials initially thought they would use the school to house the police department during renovations of the Main Street police station. The facility would have temporarily housed the police and courts, but those plans were later changed and the police are using trailers instead.