Ownership of the South Baton Rouge Charter Academy and the land it sits on has been transferred from the company that built the school to the development arm of Charter Schools USA, which manages the school.
Red Apple at South Baton Rouge LLC purchased the school property at 9211 Parkway Drive for $13.2 million from Ryan Companies US Inc., according to records filed with the East Baton Rouge Clerk of Court. The school sits on 6.3 acres.
When developing a new school, Charter Schools USA spokesperson Colleen Reynolds says, it’s typical for the construction company to make the initial land purchase. In this case, Ryan Companies, a Minnesota-based developer, bought the land for the South Baton Rouge Charter Academy last December for $1.1 million.
Red Apple also had Ryan Companies build the Baton Rouge Charter Academy at Mid City, its first school in the market.
The South Baton Rouge Charter Academy opened in the fall, enrolling children in grades K-6. By the 2016-2017 school year, the academy hopes to expand enrollment for seventh- and eighth-grade students.
In another recent land deal of note, Walmart’s real estate company bought the Coursey Commons shopping center, which is anchored by a Walmart Neighborhood Market, for $10.9 million. The shopping center sits on 9.43 acres near the Market Drive intersection and houses more than 67,000 square feet of retail space, according to a listing of the property.
Coursey Commons Shopping Center LLC, managed by Bruce Beaty, president of Pennsylvania-based Blue Ridge Real Estate Company, sold the land.
Walmart did not return a request for comment about the purchase. Walmart purchased more than five acres of vacant land on Coursey Boulevard near Sherwood Forest Boulevard, about three miles away, last week for $2.13 million. —Kelly Connelly
