ENCINITAS — The auction is off.
In late March, EUSD (Encinitas Union School District) accepted the city’s $10 million offer for the Pacific View site. But as a backstop in case the deal went south, the district pushed back a planned auction, instead of nixing it altogether.
“Based on where we are with the city, I would recommend that we’d cancel the auction,” EUSD Superintendent Tim Baird said Tuesday night.
The EUSD board of trustees voted unanimously to call off the auction. The board also approved a memorandum of understanding for the property, meaning the district will receive a $50,000 deposit from the city.
“Another step down the path,” EUSD board President Marla Strich said.
Now, the city and district will draft a final purchase agreement, which they hope to sign by the end of May.
After months of negotiations last fall, the city and EUSD couldn’t agree on a price for the property. In January, EUSD announced it would auction off the site, sparking a community movement to keep the 2.8-acre site public.
Those residents argued Encinitas’ original schoolhouse was built on the site, among other reasons it’s historic.
At the eleventh hour, the city swept in and agreed to make an offer.
In the coming weeks, the city will lay out its plan for financing the Pacific View purchase. Residents have long advocated for transforming the site into a community center of some sort.