The old Pacific View School site officially belongs to the city of Encinitas as of the close of escrow Dec. 19, the city announced.

The purchase of the 2.8-acre site from the Encinitas Union School District had been hotly debated in the community throughout 2014. An effort to get the property into public hands was sparked by an online campaign, savepacificview.org, earlier in the year.

In March, the city offered $10 million to buy the property from the school district, which was accepted, according to the city announcement. Then, in October, the City Council approved the sale of $13 million in bonds to fund the purchase, in addition to a new Moonlight Beach lifeguard tower.

The City Council has formed a Pacific View property subcommittee, tasked with outlining possible short-term and long-term uses, the city stated.

The site, located at 608 Third St. in downtown Encinitas, is home to the historic Encinitas schoolhouse.