The state’s Department of Education and the University of Hawaii were both openly interested in buying the former St. Francis School property in Manoa to use for education-related purposes. But the desirable, residentially zoned property drew a winning bid from local development outfit Avalon Group, which plans to build housing on the 11-acre site.

Avalon hasn’t revealed a specific plan yet, but the property is surrounded by single-family homes, and could accommodate about 60 houses, for which the demand certainly exists. The former school included dormitories, and had capacity for 499 students and 80 faculty.