The Stanislaus County Office of Education (SCOE) announces the purchase of what is known as the former Franklin & Downs funeral home, located at 704 12^th Street in Modesto.

Since moving to SCOE’s downtown headquarters at 1100 H Street in April of 2000, parking scarcity in downtown Modesto has been an ongoing concern for training events. To help mitigate this, SCOE currently leases parking space at the 820 12^th Street parking garage to accommodate visitors and staff. SCOE programs, staff count, workshops, and training events have grown significantly over the years. Accommodating this expansion has been a parking challenge, especially with an addition of a new conference center. The acquisition will make the former funeral home’s parking lot available for visitors.

The Franklin & Downs property has not operated as a business for 10 years. While the home is listed in the City’s Historic Resources Survey, the property is not designated an historical landmark. Without property management, recent incidents of vandalism and property destruction by homeless have necessitated police intervention. SCOE is committed to promptly addressing safety and security concerns.

“The family who sold us the property have already removed anything of value,” said Stanislaus County Superintendent of Schools Scott Kuykendall. “We are working with McHenry Mansion staff to preserve potential historical artifacts for display or to archive. In addition, we are having the property further assessed to help guide planning and next steps.”

According to Landmark Preservation Commission Chair Harrison Power, “The years of vacancy, deferred compliance, and trespassing prior to SCOE’s purchase are evident, and make it difficult to envision preservation on a practical level,” said Power. “As plans for the site are formulated and proposed in the future, I am happy to see how the Landmark Preservation Commission may be able to collaborate and support SCOE’s historical commemoration efforts.”

SCOE acquired the property, which includes three parcels, for $1.25 million, utilizing funds from recent property sales.

Key details of the sale

Purchase price $1.25 million for three parcels:

·        704 12^th Street, Modesto

·        707 13^th Street, Modesto

·        711 13^th Street, Modesto

“It is not often a property goes for sale in downtown Modesto adjacent to a business that needs space to accommodate daily operations,” said Kuykendall. “We consider ourselves fortunate to secure a property neighboring SCOE’s Martin G. Petersen Event Center and across the street from our administrative building at 1100 H Street. This property aligns with both our current requirements and future needs.”