NEENAH, WI — Investment Creations L-L-C submits the winning bid for the Shattuck Middle School property. The Neenah Joint School District Board of Education votes Tuesday to accept in the company’s $500,001 purchase offer. The company is owned by Umer Sheikh and has renovated other historic buildings in the city. During a question and answer session Sheikh explained his vision for the Shattuck School building.
“My vision for that is to turn those into market rate apartments,” Sheikh said. “Decent sized apartments, probably around a thousand-square feet. I do not want to demolish the theater that is in there, the basketball court, the auditorium that’s in there. All of that.”
Investment Creations plans call for between 34 and 48 apartments in the Shattuck School building and between 50 and 60 single family homes on the remaining property.
Investment Creation’s offer is lower than those submitted by other bidders. However, it comes with far fewer contingencies. Board Member Lauri Asbury calls it a good compromise.
“Taking into account all of the conversation we’ve had up to this point, as well as today’s meeting, I appreciate the spirit of compromise,” Asbury said. “And I feel like this is an opportunity for compromise while meeting the needs of our community and our city and our district.”
Investment Creation LLC also plans to relocated the Wellness Center from it’s current location to where the current administration offices are located. However, Board Member Lindsay Clark still believes more information is needed.
“I have more answers now than when I came in here tonight,” Clark said. “But I still don’t feel confident making a vote tonight unless we come together as a board one more time and discuss it. I mean, I’m concerned, like I said of losing control of the clinic. I’m worried about that portion of it.”
Not included in the sale to Investment Creations LLC are the tennis courts and the adjacent parking lots, which will remain the property of the Neenah School District.