Former Pleasant Center Elementary Has New Owner

The Former Pleasant Center Elementary School that's sat vacant for years, has a new owner. 

The Fort Wayne airport authority will soon take control of the facility. 

Executive Director of The Fort Wayne- Allen County Airport Authority, Scott Hinderman, says the surrounding area near the airport is safer without a school.

"Typically within a mile of a school we want to make sure we have compatible land use and pleasant center school is actually within a mile of a runway so we want to make sure that parcel is not a school," said Hinderman.  

Fort Wayne Community Schools was ready to give the building to the airport authority, but after the general assembly reviewed the proposal, it changed its laws requiring public schools to keep vacant buildings open for charter schools. 

"Over a year ago the airport authority said we would be interested in allowing the transfer and some issues came up and we backed out and let those work themselves out," said Hinderman. 

Those issues have been worked out and last month a judge allowed Fort Wayne Community Schools to transfer the land over.  As for what the new building will be.

"We are not demolishing it.  We don't have any real plans at this time," said Hinderman. 

The land was given to the Fort Wayne-Allen County Airport Authority.  No funds were exchanged.