School District 6 OKs buy-sell agreement for old junior high

The Columbia Falls School District 6 Board Monday night approved a buy-sell agreement with Ruis Holdings to sell the old junior high school.

Ruis in September offered the district $550,000 for the building. The buy-sell formalizes that agreement.

Since then the school has had a survey done. The sale also includes some vacant land surrounding the school.

Today it is part of Glacier Gateway Elementary. The district no longer needs the old junior high and its two gyms, as its building a new Glacier Gateway Elementary just to the north.

Owner Mick Ruis clarified last week that he doesn’t plan on tearing down the old school, but will remodel the interior for senior housing. He said the plan is to use the two gyms that come with the school for tenants and the Ruis Wrestling Academy, which he founded.

The old junior high, under the Ruis plan, would have about 30 units.

School board member Dean Chisholm, who is an attorney, crafted the language of the buy-sell pro bono. It gives both parties

a chance to work on covenants for the property and gives the school time to continue to occupy the building should the new school not be ready by next fall.

The district will hire an outside firm to work on the covenants. If both parties cannot agree on them, the buy-sell is void. Some potential covenants would restrict subdividing the property and ensure it continues to be senior housing into the future.

The school hopes to have the covenants worked out by the end of February. By then, the district will also have a clearer picture on when the new school will be completed. A late steel shipment has delayed the project, though crews have been able to make up time and the project is looking better, school representative Dave Jolly told the board Monday.

Ruis has completed several projects in Columbia Falls already, including condos on Nucleus Avenue and Glacier Courtyards on Fifth Street. He also built the Cedar Creek Lodge and is working on a project for more housing, commercial space, a boutique hotel and a restaurant in the city square.

The city also just recently approved a 102unit housing project off Meadow Lake Boulevard that will be built by Ruis.

In Kalispell he’s turning former silos into a restaurant and a housing complex and he’s also completed housing and commercial projects in Whitefish.

In California, he’s also done a couple of housing projects as well.