The city of Rochester will not pursue a redevelopment project at the former Rochester Community Schools administration building.

Mayor Stuart Bikson announced the city council’s decision at a recent meeting.

Bikson said city officials still believe the historic building at 501 W. University Drive should be saved. He said the council would consider a rezoning that would allow a higher density residential project on the site.

Bikson said a city-led project “would not be fiscally prudent,” as the building needs millions of dollars in renovations, something he said would require the city to impose a significant tax increase on residents. The oldest portion of the building dates to 1889.

School board President Michelle Bueltel said in a statement that the board appreciated the city’s willingness to look at all options to acquire the building.

“The RCS Board of Education plans to revisit discussions about the property in the near future,” she said in the statement.

In 2021, the school district bought the former Letica Corp. offices at 52585 Dequindre Road in Rochester for $7 million. District administrative offices relocated there last year.

Bikson and Councilwoman Debbie Jones spoke to the school board in February about the possibility of the city taking ownership of the building and redeveloping it. He said the city was considering a bond proposal on the Nov. 5 ballot to generate funds for the project.

The school board was open to the ideas presented, although neither the board or the city brought forth a specific purpose for the building.

A 2018 study by Kingscott & Associates, an architecture, interior design, engineering and planning firm, determined that renovations would cost between $21.2 million and $29.2 million, with additional costs for new construction, according to a statement from the district.

The district invited volunteers to serve on an advisory committee in 2021 that studied options for the building. After consulting with historic preservation experts, the committee voted to recommend issuing a request for proposals. The district received seven proposals in early 2022.

“After a thoughtful and thorough review by district administrators, consultants, and our general counsel, it was determined that none of the proposals would be presented to the RCS Board of Education for consideration,” the district said in a statement.

The three-story building has been expanded several times. It was used as a school until the early 1960s.The nearly 90,000-square-foot building sits on 4.43 acres.