The Rochester Community Schools district is hoping to sell its former administration building at 501. W. University Drive in downtown Rochester.
By: Mary Beth Almond | Rochester Post | Published June 3, 2026
ROCHESTER — Rochester Community Schools is once again accepting proposals for its historical administration building at 501. W. University Drive in downtown Rochester.
During the May 18 Board of Education meeting, the board voted 5-2 to authorize the administration to initiate a public request for proposals. Board President Barb Anness, Vice President Jayson Blake, and trustees Carol-Beth Litkouhi, Shelley Lauzon and Sherry Wynn Perdue voted in favor of the motion, while Board Treasurer Julie Alspach and Secretary Michelle Bueltel dissented.
The former RCS administration building consists of three individual schools that were connected over the years to form one complex. Rochester-Avon Historical Society President Tiffany Dziurman said there has been a school building on the site since 1847, when a private academy was first built on the property. It was converted to a public school in 1857, burned down in a reported arson fire in 1888 and was eventually replaced with a new school in 1889 — first known as the Avon School District #5 Schoolhouse and eventually renamed the William S. Harrison School. In 1916, the first Rochester High School building was built at the corner of University Drive and Wilcox Street, and it was eventually connected to the Harrison School building via an addition in 1928. The Harrison School Building was listed on the Michigan register of historic places in 1987. The district’s last major renovation of the structure was in 1988.
Knowing that the building was in dire need of updates, the school district hired architects Kingscott & Associates to complete an assessment of the structure in 2018, which identified issues with infrastructure, code and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance that would cost the district anywhere between $21.2 million and $29.1 million in renovations. Tearing it down and constructing a new facility would cost between $26.4 million and $31.4 million, according to the 2018 report.
The district ultimately opted to purchase the former Letica Corp. office and warehouse facility at 52585 Dequindre Road for $7 million to serve as its new administration building in 2021, leaving the old building vacant.
Litkouhi said the district has kept the vacant building for too long.
“I think that we have to be realistic about where we’re at with this property, because the board neglected to maintain the building and it has fallen apart, to a large extent,” she said. “That’s why we ended up buying the new administration building in the first place. We have now carried this vacant building since 2022, an ongoing taxpayer expense.”
Anness said that although bonds and millages had been passed over the years and some of those dollars were invested in this property, the building’s needs far exceed available resources.
“Past boards chose to invest in facilities that served students, which is where, in my personal opinion, those tax dollars are best spent,” Anness said.
“I definitely think that sitting on this longer is going to worsen the condition,” added Lauzon. “The prices that we heard were 2018, pre-covid, and everything has grown exponentially since then.”
Blake said the district’s enrollment is not projected to grow in the next five years, so there is no need for the building.
“I think what we need to do is focus on our buildings that have students in them now and get rid of distractions,” he said. “We’re a school district. We’re not historic preservationists. We’re not real estate speculators. We are a school district, so I do think the right thing to do is put an RFP out and sell to the best offer,” he said.
Wynn Perdue also supported the sale of the property.
“It’s a beautiful building, but the reality is, there’s not enough space for parking and for other things,” she said.
“And the building doesn’t meet needs, when you talk about inclusion and accessibility for students.”
Alspach and Bueltel, on the other hand, both felt strongly that the district should retain the property.
“I believe it would be short sighted for the district to sell our 501 W. University property. This property is centrally located within our community, represents part of our district’s history, and is an irreplaceable asset. Once it’s sold, it’s unlikely we will ever have the opportunity to reclaim a site of this size and location for future district needs,” Bueltel said.
While Bueltel stated she understands that maintaining the building carries costs, and that significant upgrades would be required to keep the building, she argued the property should be viewed as “a long-term investment, rather than a short-term financial burden.”
“The loss of such a valuable and strategically located piece of land would be significant,” she said. “I also don’t believe that what we could sell the building for will drastically change the education of our students.”
Alspach noted that the building has been in Rochester Schools since 1857 and is in the heart of the community.
“The past decisions about renovations and upkeep and resources have put us in this bad situation of where we are today, but I think it would be completely short-sighted for us to make a permanent decision on the mistakes we’ve already made. That building is a property that we will not be able to get back and has been part of Rochester schools for seven generations,” she said.
The district said the property will be sold as-is, with no district-funded repairs or improvements before sale, and that the RFP will include a minimum bid price of current fair market value.
All bids must include proof of financing and financial documents and are also encouraged to address: financial strength and offer price; community benefit and intended use; business plan quality and feasibility; and development and site plan.
Administrators will return all proposals to the RCS Board of Education for review no later than Sept. 14, with the final board consideration at the Oct. 26 board meeting. The motion also noted that the board reserves the right to reject any and all bids.