The Phinney Neighborhood Association has come one step closer to securing the John B. Allen School as a permanent home when Mayor Greg Nickels last week pushed to make $2.5 million available to the non-profit organization.

Last Tuesday, Nickels submitted legislation to the city council to make the $2.5 million in city funding available to the association. With a 27-year history in the Seattle School District owned John B. Allen School, the Phinney Neighborhood Association's efforts to purchase the surplus school has garnered strong supported from city leaders during the last year.

"The Phinney Neighborhood Center is a focus for the Phinney/Greenwood community and provides services to more than 200,000 people each year," said Nickels in a statement released last week. "We are supporting (the Phinney Association's) efforts to close on the property so that it can continue to offer a diverse range of services for years to come."

As previously reported by the News-Tribune, property manager for Seattle schools, Ron English said the Allen site, which is comprised of two building that earned city landmark status earlier this year, is worth between $2 and $10 million, depending on the development potential of the property. Howver, the actual selling price is still being kept confidential.

The Phinney Neighborhood Association has leased the school from the School District since 1981 to house the Phinney Neighborhood Center.

If approved for funding "the majority of the city's funding will finance the acquisition, with some funds set aside for urgent building improvements such as a new roof," according to the mayor's office. The association has also received other grants and donations to secure the property.

The Phinney Association had to meet criteria of a series of qualifications from the mayor's office to be considered for the money.

"We've been working with the mayor's office for several months and have met those qualifications," said Ed Medeiros, executive director of the Phinney Neighborhood Association. "They all revolved around readiness for purchasing and maintaining the facility, such as being an organization, having a board of directors, having by laws and also budgeting information on operating the facilities, which determined our capacity to run the facilities as a community center."

The mayor's office is preparing a business plan that will be presented to the city council for review and vote on whether the association should receive the funding.

"In exchange for the mayor's support, (the Phinney Association) must agree to continue to offer programs that will support the community, such as their daycare and senior activities," said Marshall Foster, special projects manager of the mayor's office. "The mayor's office would like (the group) to offer these programs for at least 15 years."

Medeiros said though the purchase amount is undisclosed, his group has reached a sales agreement with the school district, which will then go through the school district's executive committee on Sept. 10. The board will decide by Sept. 17 whether to approve the sale.

The City Council Planning, Land Use and Neighborhoods Committee, chaired by council member Sally Clark, will hear the mayor's legislation on Sept. 10.

Allison Espiritu may be reached at 783-1244 or allisone@robinsonnews.com.