The old Forbes Elementary School in Penn Hills will be demolished and the site will be turned into senior living space. Those are the plans of a.m. Rodriguez Associates, a developer that purchased the nearly 16-acre lot from the school district for about $460,500. School directors voted 8-0 Tuesday night to approve the sale to the Pittsburgh-based company. Board member Kristopher Wiegand was absent. “I’m very happy for the municipality of Penn Hills,” said Christine McCarthy, Rodriguez’s vice president of development. “It’s something that’s needed, and it’s going to turn a blighted building and area into something that’s going to be of really good use to the community and provide really decent, safe housing for people of all different incomes.” A 52-unit complex with a beauty salon, fitness center, community rooms, library, computer room, outdoor green space and walking trails will be developed for seniors 62 years and older. About 44 of the units would be for low-income housing and eight market value units will have no income restrictions. The building is estimated to be 55,000 square feet. The firm previously received approval from the municipality’s planning department and commission for the project. “The people in the municipality have been so helpful,” McCarthy said. “The school district and planning departments have been amazing. It’s been a really good experience.” Allegheny County real estate records place the property’s assessed value at $415,200 with the building itself worth $4,400. The school closed in 2014 when the district consolidated its three elementary schools into one new building. The district had a lease-to-own agreement with Connect Four STEM Academy, a preschool in Penn Hills, for Forbes in 2015 but the $275,000 deal fell through in 2017 when the preschool declared bankruptcy. Tentative closing date for the sale is June 30 with demolition to begin in early July. a.m. Rodriguez Associates have transformed several elementary schools into senior living facilities over the years, including the old Glassport Elementary School along Erie Avenue in Glassport and the former Morningside Elementary in Pittsburgh. “I’ve been to their complexes,” said Penn Hills school board President Erin Vecchio. “They’re beautiful. They keep them well-maintained. It’s putting the property back on the tax base. I’m all for it.” Thousands of students walked the halls of the former school, including Vecchio and her three children. “It’s sad because it was a wonderful school, but it’s progress for Penn Hills,” said Vecchio. “It will add value to our neighborhood.” Proceeds from the sale are accounted for in the district’s 2020-21 budget. Have news to share?