CLAYTON, Mo. — The School District of Clayton said Monday it wouldn't purchase the Caleres headquarters site in Clayton, after community members heavily criticized the proposed deal.
In a letter to the community Monday, the district's board of education said that "we want to thank the residents of our community for the feedback we received over the past few weeks."
"We are fortunate to have such a passionate and engaged community," it said.
The board wrote that "although a significant number of attendees at last week's public forum expressed reservations about the acquisition, we also received strong support for moving forward with the purchase via emails, phone calls, and an online petition."
Controversy erupted after the district disclosed Jan. 2 that it would purchase for $20.9 million the prime 9-acre site, 8300 Maryland Ave., for an "empowerment campus."