OPN Project Manager Ken Hagen addressing GC School Board
OPN Project Manager Ken Hagen addressing GC School Board

The Greene County School Board recently approved the purchase of land for the bond referendum project.

At their regular meeting last week, the Board approved an agreement with Mike and Kathy Bravard to purchase 49.92-acres of farmland west of American Athletic Incorporated, south of Highway 30 at a rate of $17,250 per acre for a total of $861,121. Superintendent Tim Christensen explains the other details of the land purchase agreement.

“The District has the opportunity to buy the remaining, it’s basically 84 total acres. So to purchase the remaining 34-acres, that again the agreement is the district will purchase those acres but have a five-year period of time in which to purchase those (acres). That agreement can be invoked by the owner of the land or the District if we’re ready to pursue the second part of the project. If we wanted to put athletic fields out there or whatever, we can invoke it. The price is locked in again that’s $17,250 per acre.”

Christensen notes that negotiations with the Bravards went very well and he’s looking forward to the entire $35.48 million project.

Plans for the project are currently underway with the architect firm, OPN Architects. OPN held program and vision group sessions last week with community members, teachers and faculty, to help design the interior of the new high school, gym and auditorium. OPN will work with the steering committee and will present a final draft report by May 10th. Construction for the project is slated to begin by next summer and scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2020 school year.