St. Lad’s Parish faces tough sell for former school

By David Piestrzynski
Special to The Review

Anyone interested in buying an elementary school?

St. Ladislaus Elementary will soon be on the market.

As a result of declining enrollment and budget cuts, the Hamtramck Public School system will no longer be leasing the building from the parish.

The school system had been leasing St. Ladislaus Elementary since 1998. The lease expires at the end of July.

Rev. Andrew Wesley, administrator of the parish, said St. Ladislaus is currently looking for potential buyers but conceded it’s a difficult seller’s market.

“There are so many buildings available all over,” he said. “People have choices, and they’re all trying to get the best deal for their money.”

According to Wesley, the building is best used as a school, but the parish has no intention of re-opening it.

“If the Hamtramck Public Schools don’t have enough students, then we don’t either,” he said.

“Keeping it is too much of a burden to for the parish.”

The Archdiocese of Detroit is hoping St. Ladislaus can find a fast resolution with the building.

Joe Kohn, a spokesman for the Detroit Archdiocese, said it would be to the benefit of the parish for the building to be sold or occupied.