WELD — A Weld man is the new owner of the former Weld Elementary School building and two acres on Route 156.

Kevin Cochran had the winning auction bid of $49,500, Weld Board of Selectmen Chairwoman Nancy Stowell said Monday.

Harris Real Estate Appraisals & Auctions conducted the sale.

The single-story building , was built in 1962 and designed to house 75 students in three classrooms. It was closed in August 2008 due to lower student enrollment and higher education costs. Most Weld children attend school in Wilton and Farmington.

Cochran, 44, the son of Henry and Carol Cochran of Weld, is a 1983 graduate of Mt. Blue High School in Farmington. He retired from the U.S. Navy after 24 years, and moved back to Weld about a year ago. Cochran and his wife, Holly, have lots of ideas for the school building.

“We’ve been thinking about a convenience store and possibly putting in some washers and dryers” for people to wash clothes, he said. The closest laundromat is in Dryden village in Wilton, he said.

They would sell the convenience store staples, beer and wine, and are thinking about becoming an agency liquor store.

“We’ve been throwing around the idea of pizza delivery within the town lines on Friday and Saturday nights,” Cochran said. “It’s all in the preliminary stages.”Everybody is excited about it.”

The family has been thinking about it for a year and when SAD 9 gave the property back to the town it seemed like an opportune time to take advantage of it, Cochran said.

He thinks he got a good deal since the building appraised at $95,000, he said.

The proceeds from the property sale will be put into an account, Stowell said.

Voters will be asked at the annual town meeting March 6, 2010, what they want to do with the funds, she said.

A School Building Committee, which was charged with exploring options for the building, had hoped that any money gained would be put toward a special project such as the town acquiring some Webb Lake frontage or starting a scholarship for Weld students.

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