Dear Inglewood Unified School District Families, Staff and Community:
I am excited to share with our community that the Inglewood Unified School District (IUSD) is moving forward with the next steps in developing the 23 acres of land between Morningside High School and Monroe TK-8.
IUSD is issuing a Request for Qualification/Proposal (“RFQ/P”) to seek a development partner on a long-term ground lease of the property for up to 99 years. The proposed development will generate ongoing revenue, maximize job creation opportunities for community residents, create community benefits, and support revitalization and beautification within the District’s boundaries. The project will accelerate our District’s financial health and the goal of returning to local control.
This is a much anticipated project. In 2018, after ten public meetings and hearings of the District’s Surplus Property Advisory Committee, the land was recommended for surplus through a long-term lease. However, at that time the District’s options were to sell or negotiate a shorter-term lease, which made development of the property financially unworkable considering the amount of time required for design, zoning, and pre-construction requirements.
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In May of 2021, in open session, the Inglewood Unified School District approved a Resolution of Intention informing the community of its intent to utilize Education Code statutes and new legislation to seek “Joint Occupancy” proposals for development of the property. Under the Joint Occupancy statutes, the District can lease the property on a long-term basis and utilize a portion of it exclusively for the benefit of the community, and maintain control over what is built, how it is built and who builds it. All without losing the District’s ownership of the land itself.
In our continued efforts to maintain transparency, IUSD has retained CBRE as its real estate broker to assist in the marketing of the property through a vigorous and transparent RFQ/P process. The marketing of the project to developers, including the RFQ/P process, will be vigorous, advertised nation-wide and transparent. All stakeholders will be welcome and encouraged to participate. The RFQ/P and all marketing materials will be available on the District’s website when issued.
I will continue to provide our Inglewood community with updates as well as upcoming public meetings as this process progresses. Thank you all for your support and commitment to the success of our District.
Sincerely,
Erika F. Torres Ed.D., MSW
County Administrator
