Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools leases building space | Schools

CHARLOTTE - At the July 26 Board meeting, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools shared information about the process and criteria used to select organizations interested in leasing available CMS school sites.

CMS will lease 10 of the 11 buildings available for lease. CMS will reprogram the Smith Middle building next year for district use. The proposed facilities for lease and their potential tenants are as follows: 

• Amay James Pre-Kindergarten Center – Brookstone Schools
• Double Oaks Pre-Kindergarten Center – Zechariah Alexander Senior Lodge
• Plaza Road Pre-Kindergarten Center – McColl Center for Visual Arts
• Tryon Hills Pre-Kindergarten Center – Bethlehem Center
• Pawtuckett Elementary – Access Family Services
• Davidson Middle – Lake Norman Christian School
• Wilson Middle – Student First Academy
• Midwood High – International House of Charlotte
• Former Sedgefield Elementary/Family Application Center – Q Foundation
• Former Wilmore Elementary/Professional Development Center – Barwick & Associates

CMS will lease these sites to relieve the district of operating, maintaining and securing facilities. There were 60 total potential tenants, at least two per location, expressing interest in the facilities. Midwood High generated the highest level of interest with ten expressions of interest. 

CMS considered a variety of organizations in the leasing process. The categories used in scoring the expressions of interest and their individual weight are listed below. 

Legal (must)

• Benefit to CMS Students                                                  10
• Educational Use                                                                9
• Benefit to Neighborhood                                                   8
• Benefit to Community                                                       7
• CMS Liability                                                                     6
• Tenant Quality                                                                  5
• Ease of Management                                                       4
• Maximize Net Revenue                                                    3
• Improvements                                                                   2
• Nonprofit/Municipality/Local Government                        1

Immediately, CMS will continue due diligence on selected organizations. The district will notify selected organizations and begin the lease negotiations. CMS will then bring the negotiated leases to the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education and successful bidders will occupy the leased facilities.