Alternate sites to be considered

[lacy]

doctorwho said:

macy said:

gatormom said:

Sounds a little heartless but what about the mass amount of young children that will be impacted if we don't move on another parcel?

would have been a great question for the BB attorneys -- they are working for who ? No one but themselves. Also a great question for the extremely weak political support because we have people in office who will take a stand on nothing.

Like it or not, they have every right in this country to maximize their profit. That's what America is all about. The jury was under no obligation to feel sorry for anybody. The land owners are entitled to just compensation. I'm not even remotely surprised it came in like it did. I never understood why the SB thought it was only worth $250K.

[doctorwho]

lacy said:

doctorwho said:

macy said:

would have been a great question for the BB attorneys -- they are working for who ? No one but themselves. Also a great question for the extremely weak political support because we have people in office who will take a stand on nothing.

Like it or not, they have every right in this country to maximize their profit. That's what America is all about. The jury was under no obligation to feel sorry for anybody. The land owners are entitled to just compensation. I'm not even remotely surprised it came in like it did. I never understood why the SB thought it was only worth $250K.

maybe because of comps like Lehigh Station - explain to me why that is not a good comparison where you can;t figure why they had that amount ?

The jury was under obligation to take all into consideration - how they two large comps from that time - both under $300K per seemingly get passed over is the question.

The BB attorneys were supposedly worried about bad press if the trial was held here ( their claim, not mine) - could they not have built positive press with some donation ? America is also the largest 'giving' country in the world so let's not hold to one definition of what America is or isn't.

You can hate the SB all you want - but let's not make martyrs out of the BB attorneys.

[Arch]

Unfortunately everyone has a different idea of what 'just' is.. as a juror, 'just' can mean 'sticking it' to one party or another in a trial.

The price is known and the timeline can begin if they bite and go with it.

Everything.. Yes, EVEN THE COST of any other land is still up in the air if they pass on BB now that the price is set by the court.

[doctorwho]

archwinsome said:

Unfortunately everyone has a different idea of what 'just' is.. as a juror, 'just' can mean 'sticking it' to one party or another in a trial.

The price is known and the timeline can begin if they bite and go with it.

Everything.. Yes, EVEN THE COST of any other land is still up in the air if they pass on BB now that the price is set by the court.

you're right - we only have one thing that we are sure of land wise right now - and that is the cost and availability of BB.

Everything else right now in time is speculation.

[macy]

proschool said:

macy said:

Proschool.

I completely agree with you on all your points. But, if the school board has come out and voted already on a resolution to not come out for more money for Metea, I'm unsure as to where they will find the extra money for the BB land.

Personally, I'm hoping the Macom land is still up for negotiation. In my opinion, without knowing other alternative location availability, what else can we do?

I am unsure as to selling the Wheatland property. That's a new concept. Doesn't seem that it can happen that quickly.

Who says we need the money quickly? There are some parts of the school that might not have to be built for years. If we can sell Wheatland for 5 million and we just got an extra three million from the state we are half way there.

If they don't ask for more money then they have to make cuts. But those cuts should go across the district. They should not all be on metea.

Proschool,

I guess I was under the impression that we needed the school to be built in total for the children that will be enrolled there.

I am not in favor of putting high schoolers in an incomplete building. What do we sacrifice?? A gym, lunchroom, stadium?

I would be more in favor of waiting and opening a school as complete as possible.

This whole selling Wheatland propery is being thrown out from nowhere. Where is this coming from? Is this coming from the school board?

Sending a child, my child, anyone's child to an incomplete high school is not a viable option to me. Especially if there are other alternatives.

At what point do we abandon the BB or nothing mentality?

[proschool]

What can we wait for?

Since there will only be freshmen ans sophmores there will be no need for varsity athletic facilities or student parking until 2010 for starters. Surley we can sell Wheatland before 2010. It would be nice to get it on the taxrolls too.

Even the macom proerty would have to be built under the assumption that not everything will be built at once because there is still a family living on the macom property.

[EagleDad]

I am in the SB's shoes, I immediately offer the following alternatives (in my priority order)

• Offer Macom the existing 25 Acres (it is prime residential and in a very good location) in a swap, and 17.5 Million for their land - get the Park District to write off their promised acreage, or give them a cut of BB. No messing around, deal done by the end of October. Say yes or no by 10/5 or it's off the table.
  
• Offer St John's the existing 25 Acres (does a church need more than this?), and 12.5 Million for their land (less offered due to the reduced value of their land). Again, deal done by the end of October. Say yes or no by 10/5.
  
• Offer Wagner Farms Wheatland (the whole building) and it's land, plus 5 Million in exchange for 40 acres on 59 and the back 40.
  
• No on the above three - then full steam ahead on BB
  

I think either way we now need a valuation and liquidation price on Wheatland. It is an underutilized asset and we should know it's value to the district (if for example someone had asked for a 15 Million dollar referendum for a pre-school, I would not have voted yes).

[doctorwho]

proschool said:

What can we wait for?

there will be no need for varsity athletic facilities .

that decision has not yet been made - so I wouldn't get too far down that path - a whole separate issue.

If freshman were not allowed to play varsity at WVHS this year - there would be no state trophy for girls soccer.

[bob]

Can't sell the 25 acres to anyone but BB.

[EagleDad]

bob said:

Can't sell the 25 acres to anyone but BB.

reference please

[warriorpride]

lacy said:

proschool said:

Who says we need the money quickly? There are some parts of the school that might not have to be built for years. If we can sell Wheatland for 5 million and we just got an extra three million from the state we are half way there.

If they don't ask for more money then they have to make cuts. But those cuts should go across the district. They should not all be on metea.

Why should we overpay for land if other land is available? And why should we wait "for years" to build parts of the school?

Is this all about the boundaries still to some? I don't get it.

To continue to pursue BB at all costs at this point is just simply moronic to me. If that's what the SB tries to do, then they are sacrificing what is best for the district and the kids - and for what? To make a few mouthy people happy because they wanted BB only?

I don't like the doomsday scenarios about the Macom property. We need to get the facts and not spew a bunch of FUD about this site or any other.

I don't think there's been any FUD today. I think everyone has been trying to have a constructive discussion today.

You are being presumptuous about the the reasons for continuing to pursue BB. I can imagine many good reasons for pursuing.

Also, it's very easy to underestimate the cost & effort & possible timeframes for purchasing all of the necessary Macom & adjacent properties so that construction can be started (and complete). Nothing's been easy so far - wouldn't the SD and all of us be a little foolish to assume that everything would go smoothly and as planned with Macom?

[macy]

eagledad said:

bob said:

Can't sell the 25 acres to anyone but BB.

reference please

Part of the deal in terms of eminent domain. If we decide not to build, back to the owner at the selling price.

[warriorpride]

eagledad said:

I am in the SB's shoes, I immediately offer the following alternatives (in my priority order)

• Offer Macom the existing 25 Acres (it is prime residential and in a very good location) in a swap, and 17.5 Million for their land - get the Park District to write off their promised acreage, or give them a cut of BB. No messing around, deal done by the end of October. Say yes or no by 10/5 or it's off the table.
  
• Offer St John's the existing 25 Acres (does a church need more than this?), and 12.5 Million for their land (less offered due to the reduced value of their land). Again, deal done by the end of October. Say yes or no by 10/5.
  
• Offer Wagner Farms Wheatland (the whole building) and it's land, plus 5 Million in exchange for 40 acres on 59 and the back 40.
  
• No on the above three - then full steam ahead on BB
  

I think either way we now need a valuation and liquidation price on Wheatland. It is an underutilized asset and we should know it's value to the district (if for example someone had asked for a 15 Million dollar referendum for a pre-school, I would not have voted yes).

Problem - we can't give/sell the 25 - if we don't build some kind of school on it, we are obligated to sell it back to our BB friends for the price we paid (wow, that was a great contingency - NOT). That eliminates several of your top options.

[EagleDad]

warriorpride said:

eagledad said:

I am in the SB's shoes, I immediately offer the following alternatives (in my priority order)

• Offer Macom the existing 25 Acres (it is prime residential and in a very good location) in a swap, and 17.5 Million for their land - get the Park District to write off their promised acreage, or give them a cut of BB. No messing around, deal done by the end of October. Say yes or no by 10/5 or it's off the table.
  
• Offer St John's the existing 25 Acres (does a church need more than this?), and 12.5 Million for their land (less offered due to the reduced value of their land). Again, deal done by the end of October. Say yes or no by 10/5.
  
• Offer Wagner Farms Wheatland (the whole building) and it's land, plus 5 Million in exchange for 40 acres on 59 and the back 40.
  
• No on the above three - then full steam ahead on BB
  

I think either way we now need a valuation and liquidation price on Wheatland. It is an underutilized asset and we should know it's value to the district (if for example someone had asked for a 15 Million dollar referendum for a pre-school, I would not have voted yes).

Problem - we can't give/sell the 25 - if we don't build some kind of school on it, we are obligated to sell it back to our BB friends for the price we paid (wow, that was a great contingency - NOT). That eliminates several of your top options.

Build a 1-room schoolhouse (an outhouse) and then sell/swap it.

Let BB sue for a change, drag it out for a few years (with a new lawyer, I hear ours dropped the ball).

[doctorwho]

macy said:

eagledad said:

reference please

Part of the deal in terms of eminent domain. If we decide not to build, back to the owner at the selling price.

I believe there is also a 'penalty/legal fee' or something like that if we give it back that is a significant amount of money also.