Quantcast

The DNAinfo archives brought to you by WNYC.
Read the press release here.

CPS Selling Home Of Excel Academy Of South Shore To Religious Group

By Sam Cholke | November 17, 2016 5:33am
 Excel Academy of South Shore's building will be sold by CPS to the Illinois Faith Based Association, whose president is pastor of the neighboring church.
Excel Academy of South Shore's building will be sold by CPS to the Illinois Faith Based Association, whose president is pastor of the neighboring church.
View Full Caption
DNAinfo/Sam Cholke

SOUTH SHORE — Excel Academy will soon have a new landlord in South Shore.

The school at 7530 S. South Shore Drive, which serves students between the ages of 15 and 21 who are behind in their studies, is about to be sold to the Illinois Faith Based Association.

In October, the Chicago Board of Education agreed to sell the building, which Excel has rented from CPS since 2014.

The property must first be transferred to the city, which is in the process now of negotiating a sale with the Illinois Faith Based Association.

The sale will go through the Chicago Plan Commission on Thursday and move next to City Council for approval.

It’s unclear what the association wants to do with the school, but city officials said they expect Excel to stay in the building as a tenant and the association to use a portion of the 113,516-square-foot building for a community center.

The association’s president, the Rev. Walter Turner III, who is also the pastor at the neighboring New Spiritual Light Missionary Baptist Church, 7566 S. South Shore Drive, could not be reached for comment.

A sale price has not yet been released and is expected to be made public on Thursday at the Plan Commission meeting.

Excel Academy Principal Renee Carter declined to comment on whether there would be any changes to the school once the purchase goes through.

Executive Director Anthony Haley was not available to comment.

The building currently serves 167 students, according to Chicago Public Schools, but has the capacity for up to 250 students, according to Excel.

Excel Academy of South Shore is one of four schools operated in Chicago by parent company Camelot Education.

For more neighborhood news, listen to DNAinfo Radio here.