Last night the Midland Board of Education approved a Land Purchase Contract and a Contract for Architectural Services. Both Contracts may be found here:
Land Purchase
Architectural Services
Press Release
Thursday, October 30, 2014
DATE: October 30, 2014
RELEASE TIME: IMMEDIATE
CONTACT SPOKESPERSON: JENELLE COLVIN/BOARD PRESIDENT jcolvin@midland-7.org
The Midland Board of Education has voted to enter into a
contingent contract to purchase approximately 35.97 acres of real estate at a
cost of $12,500 per acre. The property
is located on the northern edge of the City of Lacon and would be utilized as a
potential site for a new school construction project. The contract is
contingent upon a majority of the district’s registered voters approving the
issuance of bonds for the purpose of paying costs to construct a new school.
This contingency ensures that the taxpayers of the district will not be
required to purchase the land until approved by referendum. The earliest date
to seek voter approval will be in the Consolidated Election held in April
2015.
The selection of this property as a potential site of new
construction stems from a Life Safety Survey mandated by the Illinois State
Board of Education. The survey revealed several million dollars worth of
repairs that would be required to continue the safe and compliant operations of
the Midland Elementary Building. Entering into this contingent contract will
allow the option to meet the district’s long term facility needs on a new green
space. Several important considerations went into the selection of this site,
including: the close proximity to city utilities, the ability to access city
streets, and adequate space to ensure sufficient parking and safe traffic
flows. Use of such acreage was also
considered for future expansions, potential rental income, and school programs
utilizing farm land.
The Midland
School District will host a series of community engagement events in the coming
months. The goal of these engagements will be to seek input from district
residents and stakeholders on the construction of a new school building on this
property. These events will allow all interested parties to openly exchange
information and share their ideas or concerns.
It is the
intent of the Midland School Board to offer the most viable option to the
Midland School District that will meet the educational goal of the district and
maintain some local control.
Monday, October 7, 2013
Architect Evaluates Lacon Facility
Dear Friends and Stakeholders:
Recently the Midland Board of Education contracted with a third party architect to conduct an evaluation of the Lacon Facility to ascertain if the building had deteriorated. The Architectural firm (Craig Wright and Associates) the district contracted with is not on the short list that the district is obligated to negotiate with. You can find the report the report here.
In addition, the firm also issued a report identifying the basic minimal repairs that should be completed to ensure that the building is safe for students. You may find the red line report here. The minimal repairs, as recommended by the architect, amount to over $800,000 dollars in repairs.
Recently the Midland Board of Education contracted with a third party architect to conduct an evaluation of the Lacon Facility to ascertain if the building had deteriorated. The Architectural firm (Craig Wright and Associates) the district contracted with is not on the short list that the district is obligated to negotiate with. You can find the report the report here.
In addition, the firm also issued a report identifying the basic minimal repairs that should be completed to ensure that the building is safe for students. You may find the red line report here. The minimal repairs, as recommended by the architect, amount to over $800,000 dollars in repairs.
Tuesday, October 9, 2012
Industrial Park Site
The Lacon City Council voted to restrict the use of property in the industrial park for industrial purposes only. Business owners within the Industrial Park expressed apprehension about locating a school in that area due to safety concerns to children. Their concerns were valid. I also informed the city council and business members in attendance that the district is not interested in locating in an area that we are not welcome. This narrows are options considerably. We now have the following options:
1. Build a school across the street from the current location.
2. Launch a site acquisition project.
3. Repair the current building.
4. Construct an addition to an existing facility.
5. Do nothing.
The board will probably discuss this on the 15th and determine what scope of services they would like Farnsworth to complete. I would encourage all to attend the meeting on the 15th .
Friday, September 28, 2012
Pre Referendum Services
The Midland School Board conducted a special meeting last night to discuss pre-referendum costs with Farnsworth Group. Farnsworth distributed a services list with projected costs. You may find the document HERE.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Farnsworth Link
This is a link to the Statement of Qualifications that Farnsworth submitted. It discussed exactly what their engagement process will look like. http://www.midland-7.org/website_district/page28.html
Previous links to Life Safety Documents
This is a link to the life safety documents that were generated during the facility committee. Links to Life Safety Documents
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