Windrush Sale Still in Limbo

The pending sale of the former Windrush School in El Cerrito to a San Francisco-based business entity is now set to close in early December, a representative of the buyer told Patch.

A Sept. 10 notice from Wells Fargo Bank said Educational Ventures, LLC had signed a purchase agreement for the property, which served as the Windrush campus for 35 years. The progressive-oriented K-8 school closed its doors in June after defaulting a year earlier on its $13 million in construction bonds for the school's new middle school building and refurbished gym.

Wells Fargo, trustee for the bondholders, took over the property after the school closed. The bank's announcment in September gave a sale price of $6.9 million and said the buyer "has 45 days from the date of execution of the purchase agreement to complete its due diligence." 

Asked if the buyer is now willing to discuss its plans for the property, Kate Freeland, an attorney representing Educational Ventures, said the sale is now expected to close early next month and that the principals would be able to respond to questions after the closing.

Patch has not found much information about Educational Ventures. It is a limited liability company (LLC), registered with the California Secretary of State. The entity's listing on the Secretary of State website, filed on Aug. 1, does not list any officers or any person associated with it, except Freeland, who is identified as "Agent for Service of Process."

The address listed for Educational Ventures is 150 Spear St. in San Francisco, the same address as Freeland's law firm, Freeland Cooper & Foreman LLP.

The 4-acre Windrush campus occupies a prominent hillside location at Elm and Hill streets. The original main building, with Chinese architectural elements, dates from 1935 and first housed the Chung Mei Home, said to have been the only orphanage for Chinese boys in the United States.

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