The Prince George’s County Board of Education on Thursday night approved a request by the county government to transfer the deed of a vacant school near National Harbor to the county so that MGM Resorts can use the property as it develops its casino project.
The vote came after several questions were raised by board members about why the school board only learned about the request this week. County officials sent schools chief Kevin Maxwell a letter Dec. 2 requesting that Thomas Addison Elementary School be deemed as surplus.
Board member Edward Burroughs III (District 8), who represents the area, pushed for the item to be removed from the consent agenda. He said he wasn’t opposed to the request, but worried that there had been limited community input.
The building, which has been vacant for the past five years, would be renovated and the 7.3-acre property the school sits on would be used for recruiting and training. It would also serve as a staging area for the construction of the resort and casino, according to county officials.
Thomas M. Himler, the county’s deputy chief administrative officer for budget, finance and administration, said it was unclear how the agreement with MGM Resorts would be structured.
“We’ll need to flush out all those details as we move forward,” Himler said. “It will probably be leased to them. All of that has to be negotiated.”
Board member Verjeana M. Jacobs (District 5) asked why the school system could not remain the owner of the school and lease it to MGM.
George Margolies, the school system’s chief of staff, said the law requires the school system to turn over property to the county when it determines that it no longer has use for it.
Thomas Addison Elementary, about a half mile from National Harbor, closed five years ago. Since then, a private school and churches have expressed interest in the building, but a deal was never approved, Burroughs said.
“It’s kind of disappointing to hear that it’s going to the casino,” he said. “I had a pastor a couple of weeks ago ask me about it.”
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