Houston-based film/documentary company offers to buy Fifth Ward High

A Houston-based film and documentary production company has offered to buy the former Fifth Ward High School for $320,000. The proposed sale to Gauntlet Film & Media Entertainment Inc. (GFME) has already raised some questions that need to be answered before the Avoyelles School Board acts on the offer at its May 1 meeting.

The board’s Building & Lands Committee endorsed the offer, presented by realtor Brigitte Joffrion, on a 4-1 vote at its April 17 meeting.

Board member Darrell Wiley voted “No” because the potential buyer did not attend the committee meeting. Board member Van Kojis voted “Yes,” but noted he could change his mind on the matter after hearing input from the community about the proposed sale.

Fifth Ward High was closed by a federal court desegregation/consolidation order in 1988. It was later used as Marksville Middle School when that school was damaged by fire, only to be shuttered again when the School Board closed the three middle schools and moved the middle grades to the elementary and high schools.

The 8.5-acre site is one of three the board had asked Joffrion to sell. The other two are the former special education school that most recently housed a parish detention center and the closed Bunkie Middle School.

The Fifth Ward property appraised for $371,000, but state law would allow the School Board to accept an offer that is within 85 percent of that appraised value. The proposed purchase price is 86 percent of the appraised value.

Joffrion said company representatives recently toured the school and made the cash offer based on that inspection. The point person for the proposed purchase is Ameal Jones Sr.

Joffrion said the film company would want the School Board to remove items stored at the school within 30 days after the purchase. However, she said, the company wants some items, including two old school buses, that would remain on site for use in their film/documentary projects.

“On the tour, we saw where the roof was leaking,” Joffrion told board members. “There was also mold and mildew in several places.”

After the meeting, Joffrion said any buyer “will have a lot of work to do” on the vacant buildings.

“Mr. Jones said the company’s main goal is to open up job opportunities in this parish,” she said. “I think this would be a positive thing for the parish. We will have to wait and see if the board agrees.”

At the committee meeting, board members asked if conditions could be added to the sale of the school.

The main condition board members presented was that the property could not be used as another school for a designated period, such as 10 years. That prompted a question as to whether someone who purchases the site from this buyer would be bound by any conditions attached to this sale?

Board members referred that legal question to District Attorney Charles Riddle.

Another possible condition presented was that a recently erected sign honoring Fifth Ward High be left in place.

APSD Superintendent Blaine Dauzat said the board needs to get public input before the property is sold.

Wiley said a representative of the proposed buyer needs to attend the board’s meeting May 1.

“There will be opposition to the sale,” Wiley said. “I’m skeptical because he didn’t show up this afternoon.”

Joffrion provided an official statement from the company, noting that its mission “is to build a platform for local artists and businesses to display their talents and products.”

The goal of the company ”is to help strengthen the economy by encouraging the residents to invest in the growth of their community.”

Gauntlet Film & Media Entertainment operates a recording studio at its corporate headquarters in Houston. In an online description of its operations, GFME says its team members have been “actively involved in the music scene, both live and in the studio, and know exactly what it takes to create and capture world-class sounds for your project.”

That post also notes the company includes “script writing, storyboarding, light design, location scouting, photography & video, cranes and glidecams to make your project look like a Hollywood masterpiece. Our Post Production engineers can work magic on your project with editing, motion graphics, voice-overs, music composition and have the content ready for delivery to television, cinema and online.”

Possible projects include music videos, corporate videos, independent and short films, functions, TV shows, TV advertising, sporting events, online media videos and cinema advertising.