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Officials confirmed Thursday that school board attorney Jill Wilson is reviewing a proposal that would consolidate the schools administrative offices into a new office building on South Elm Street.

Most school board members remain silent on the proposal. Other elected officials are throwing their support behind what some are calling the most ambitious project proposed in recent years.

The $60 million plan, which involves the coordination of several governing boards, nonprofit groups and private developers, is the brainchild of the Gate City Co., a nonprofit subsidiary of the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.

“This is a real leadership opportunity to accomplish a major development in an area of the city that hasn’t seen a development like this before,” said Gary Paul Kane, Gate City executive director.

Gate City proposes the school board consolidate several of their 10 administrative offices into a new, 250,000-square-foot building on South Elm Street at Lee Street. The building would accommodate 500 of the schools 760 administrators. Maintenance and operations personnel would not move.

The Greensboro Redevelopment Commission owns the site, about 4.5 acres.

The commission is tasked by the City Council to find new purposes for blighted areas of the city.

Gate City says the proposal would not increase the schools budget or divert any school construction funds, nor would it create a new tax for residents.

“We would have never even pursued it if this was going to take one cent from money to build schools,” said Walker Sanders, the Community Foundation president.

Instead, the plan calls for the school system to sell about 16 acres of property — mostly administrative buildings — including the central office on Eugene Street in historic Fisher Park. Gate City officials would not disclose their estimates of the properties’ market value.

The plan anticipates new tax money generated once the school properties are sold to private investors — the school system does not pay property taxes. That tax money would be dedicated to the project’s costs.

Gate City says a private investor would build the new administrative office building and the school system would lease the building but eventually own it. The project also includes plans for additional office and retail space, as well as residential units on the property.

Federal tax credits could encourage investors to invest in the property.

Five years ago, the city launched an $11 million redevelopment effort on 10 acres south of Lee Street, which includes the site. That plan calls for residential, commercial and office space.

Earlier this year, the city began to demolish run-down businesses and houses in the area. A cleanup of petroleum-based products on the site is ongoing.

The redevelopment commission will start requesting proposals for projects on the property either late this year or early 2009.

Community Foundation and Gate City officials agree the plan is audacious and calls for cooperation on the part of groups who have struggled to get along.

“It’s about as complex a transaction as you could put together,” Sanders said. “But I can’t think of a more important transaction to get done.”

Sanders noted Charlotte officials have pulled off similarly complex projects in recent years.

The office building would be near the apex of three City Council districts, including Councilman Zack Matheny’s. Matheny said that if the proposal accomplishes all the things it’s boasting, he’ll get behind it.

“If it’s a betterment for the Greensboro and the community, absolutely,” he said.

The plan has the support of Mayor Yvonne Johnson. Johnson was involved in the early planning for the proposal and described the school system as the “perfect anchor” for downtown Greensboro.

Because the issue involves possible land transfers, school board officials have declined to discuss their opinion on the proposal.

“It’s something that we’re reviewing,” said school board member Amos Quick. “Right now there are still a lot of questions that the board members have individually and collectively.”

Quick described consolidated administrative office as a “luxury” at this point.

School board members Anita Sharpe and Kris Cooke support the concept of a consolidated administrative office, saying it would make the school system more efficient and likely save tax money.

“I just think your company runs more efficiently when you’re all under one roof,” Cooke said.

However, both women said they would never support spending any school funding on a new administrative building before meeting all of the system’s school construction needs.

They also raised questions about how likely it would be someone would want to purchase the property that currently houses administrative offices.

“You want to sell some real estate right now?” Sharpe asked rhetorically.

What happens next remains to be seen, according to most involved in the proposal. If the plan wins support from the school board, a task force could be created to help guide the project forward.

Contact J. Brian Ewing at 373-7351 or brian.ewing@news-record.com