EXCELSIOR SPRINGS – The longabandoned Roosevelt school has drawn the interest of a developer hoping to turn the property into apartments for the elderly. The Planning and Zoning Commission has approved and advanced the redevlopment plan to the Excelsior Springs City Council. Ted Ehney presented his application to P&Z on June 29. He asked to rezone the property at 101 Richmond St. from R-2, two-family residential, to RP-4, mediumdensity apartments. Roosevelt, built in 1929 on 7.5 acres, consists of the old school, a track and a field. The site was used as a high school and then an elementary school before closing. The approximately 65,000-squarefoot, three-story building offers classroom space, a gymnasium and an auditorium. Ehney’s plan is to turn the classrooms into apartments and to keep the gymnasium and auditorium intact for possible event rental space. Renovations are proposed in two phases. Phase I would redevelop the building into 34 one-bedroom living units for people…