The Friends of East Olive nonprofit will be able to purchase the former East Olive Elementary building after the St. Johns School Board voted to sell the property to the organization.
- The St. Johns School Board voted to sell the former East Olive Elementary building to the Friends of East Olive nonprofit.
- The nonprofit submitted a $25,000 bid and hopes the sale will finalize by fall.
- The building has served as a community hub since 2018, following the elementary school's closing in 2017.
WATCH: Community center secures its future in St. Johns
The school board voted earlier this year to sell the building after approving a move of its early learning program to a new facility. That decision left the East Olive Community Center and the programs it houses in an uncertain position for months.
The building has served as a community hub since 2018, following the elementary school's closing in 2017.
Friends of East Olive submitted a $25,000 bid for the building. Executive Director Carrie Ramirez said the nonprofit has already invested nearly $500,000 into the property in upkeep. She hopes the sale will finalize by fall.
"I was also relieved," Ramirez said. "We have invested a ton in this building and we really wanted to continue what we were doing and expand it, to be honest."
The building currently houses a range of programs, including services for adults living with disabilities, as well as sports and community events.
Katie Goff, also with Friends of East Olive, said the sale approval has reinvigorated those involved with the building.
"Now that we kinda know that, there's a bit of renewed energy for the building, so it's really nice," Goff said.
Ramirez said the sense of community the building provides was central to the nonprofit's push to secure it.
"Everyone felt like they could come here, they had a place they belonged, and that was the piece I didn't wanna lose when East Olive closed as a school," Ramirez said.
The Friends of East Olive is now asking the community for ideas online as the nonprofit plans to expand its use of the building.
Want more FOX 47 News? Here's how you download our Roku app
You can also see the latest news from across our mid-Michigan neighborhoods by liking us on Facebook or following us on X.
