Former students and long-time community members gave emotional testimony last week as to why the school district should sell the former Allen School to its current tenant, the Phinney Neighborhood Association, keeping it a "public asset."

Executive director of the Phinney Neighborhood Association, Ed Mederios, is negotiating with the school district for purchase of the former school buildings and said last week he'd be ready to make an offer by the end of April.

The official assessed fair market value isn't public information while the district is in negotiations with the Phinney group. But property manager for Seattle schools, Ron English, has said the Allen site is worth between $2 and $10 million, which must be based on the "highest and best use" of the site.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association has leased the property from the district for the past 26 years and has maintained the property, developing a variety of social, cultural and educational programs for the community.

Mederios has launched a capital campaign and already has plans for improvements to the building that never made financial sense as renters, such as new elevators and entryways and even a public park.

"After 26 years of renting from the school district it will be nice to own the building ourselves," he told the crowd of about 75 community members during last week's meeting at the Phinney Center.

Former students, current Phinney Association board members, long-time residents and business owners gave impassioned speeches as a court reporter took notes that will be transcribed and presented to the School Board once a purchase deal is reached. Sales of district-owned property require a public hearing and must be approved by the School Board.

Jan Gray has lived and worked in the neighborhood since 1976 as chief executive officer of the Cancer Lifeline. The Phinney Center has become one of the key components of community building, she said.

"A lot of sweat equity has gone into these structures ... to make a safe, welcoming and encouraging place," said Gray.

Ron Lewis, long-time resident and former owner of Greenwood Hardware for more than 20 years is working on the capital campaign and is confident a purchase deal will happen.

"This is going to really remain a school," he said. "This is something very, very special. We are going to raise the money to purchase this."

The City Council has already pledged $2.5 million to help buy the center.

Irene Wall, president of the Phinney Ridge Community Council, said the center is a priceless part of the community.

"This building and this site still has great value for me personally," said Wall. "Its highest and best use is as a community center."

One man, a member of the Phinney community since 1976, said he and his wife value the center so much they chose to get married in its parking lot.

Three generations of Jody Peters' family has a connection to the old school.

"This is a huge community operation," she said. "This touches all of us."

A lone voice in the room, education activist Chris Jackins, announced his opposition of the sale of public-owned property to a private group. He said there was no guarantee the site would remain in public hands if it were sold.

"Public school properties were meant to be a long-term public school resource," said Jackins. "Once lost, new school sites are nearly impossible to acquire. Holding on to the property is a better long-term investment than anything else the district could do."

But English said a clause in the purchase contract prohibits the buyer from re-selling the property for at least 15 years and it must be used for "roughly" the same purpose it is now.

"That's part of the deal from the district's standpoint," said English. "We don't want to see it turned into a residential high rise."

Several people asked if the district might end up selling it to a developer. English has been instructed by the School Board to deal exclusively with the Phinney Association.

"I haven't been talking with anyone else," said English. "I'm not talking to developers. I'm literally not answering the phone."

The Allen School is one of five old school sites the district is in the process of selling because they are no longer needed as schools. Long-time tenants of the Crown Hill School, Fauntleroy Schoolhouse in West Seattle and University Heights are all developing fundraising plans to purchase their buildings.

The Nordic Heritage Museum has extended its lease on the Webster School until it moves to a new location.

The money the district makes on selling the multi-million dollar buildings can only be used for capital improvements to other school buildings, such as roof and heating system replacement, said English.

The Seattle Landmarks Preservation Board voted in February to landmark the interior and exterior of the two buildings that comprise the Allen School. Since this likely prevents demolition of the buildings and future development there, it could reduce the overall cost.

The wooden building was constructed in 1904 and sits at the southwest corner of the site and the brick building was finished in 1918.

The district doesn't need all the cash upfront either. English said some kind of payment system could be worked out.

"I really don't think that anyone but the (Phinney Neighborhood Association) is going to buy this building," he said.

To sign up to testify at upcoming meetings, call 252-0040.

Phinney Association membership is more than 5,000 people, with an estimated 400,000 annual program visits. Visit http://www.phinneycenter.org/.