Gateway School Board votes to rezone middle school for commercial use

Gateway School Board members said last week that the selling or leasing Gateway Middle School will not happen soon.

“This is simply giving future boards options,” school Director Chad Stubenbort said during a board meeting. “There are so many steps in place and processes that have to go through.”

He said any sale or lease will not happen this school year, and likely not next school year.

The board voted 9-0 in favor of submitting its plans to Monroeville council that include rezoning the Gateway Middle School property from residential to commercial.

The board hired R.F. Mittal and Associates Inc. in April to survey the land and 360 Group of Pittsburgh was hired to help with the sale or lease of the property.

According to county real estate records, the property was assessed in 2017 under its current residential zoning at $13.4 million.

Monroeville Council must approve the rezoning, and has charged the school district a $3,800 fee associated with analyzing the plans. The request will first be submitted to the municipality's planning commission, then council will hold a public hearing before voting.

Once that is completed, the next step “will be a motion to sell or lease the property,” said School Director Steve O'Donnell, building and grounds committee chairman.

Facebook users had concerns Monday on where students would be placed if the school closes as the result of a sale.

Stubenbort said the school board is “completely opposed” to placing seventh- and eighth-graders in the high school, which was a main concern expressed on social media.

Director Mary Beth Cirucci said that Gateway Middle School students would be moved to a new building that would house sixth-, seventh- and eighth-graders, as an option.“If, and only if, Gateway Middle School would be sold for the right amount,” she added.

Dillon Carr is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 412-871-2325, dcarr@tribweb.com or via Twitter @dillonswriting.