Groninger Acquires Gateway Property
By Briley Gargis
InkFreeNews
WARSAW – Warsaw Community Schools is selling the Gateway property.
The school board approved the sale Wednesday night, July 15 to Cary Groninger, who plans to redevelop the land for residential use.
The facility at 201 N. Union St., Warsaw, formerly served as Madison Elementary School until 2010 but has been used since then for alternative education classes and adult education.
At the end of last year, the board approved a resolution to close the building. The structure was built in 1955, and had been in need of significant repairs.
The School Board officially approved the building to be transferred over to Groninger.
The initial offer was for $100,000 for the facility along with a grant for the building trades program being given to the school system. Groninger described the property as a “Hidden Gem” in reference to its prime location near downtown Warsaw.
Groninger said that most of the old buildings will be demolished except for the gymnasium.
Groninger is a Kosciusko County Commissioner and owner of G&G Hauling and Excavating, which has offices just a block away from the Gateway Property
In the newly cleared land, there is hope to implement a new style of housing development the area has yet to see. This is called a “Pocket Neighborhood” where the houses all face inward for a better sense of community. The gym will be used for public use in something that can operate like the BYC or the YMCA.
With the need for housing in the Warsaw community, the board and Groninger are very excited about the project and hope that the project will elevate the community in a new way.