Post by gatormom on Oct 25, 2007 4:43:19 GMT -6
Time means money in District 204
October 25, 2007
By BRITT CARSON Staff Writer
In 2005, the land for Metea Valley High School would have cost $19.6 million.
In 2007, 55 of those same 80 acres will cost Indian Prairie School District 204 almost $28.5 million.
Not much of a land deal, unless the clock is ticking. And it seems to be for the district if the board still wants to build the new school on 80 acres of the Brach-Brodie property. Saturday looms large - the deadline for accepting a jury's ruling of $518,250 an acre - but almost $8.9 million more in two years for fewer acres is a hard number to swallow.
The back story
In 2005, the district asked residents to approve a $130.5 million referendum measure for a third high school. The district also negotiated a deal for all 80 acres for $19.6 million.
The school district filed a condemnation lawsuit for 25 of the 80 acres in 2003, which it originally intended to use for a middle school. Before the 2005 high school referendum, the deal included the 25 acres for $256,000 an acre and the additional 55 acres, not under condemnation, for $240,000 an acre.
The 80 acres, or the Brach-Brodie property, are located along 75th Street and the future extension of Commons Drive in Aurora.
Voters defeated that April 2005 referendum. However, the district still was able to purchase the 25 acres under condemnation for $6.4 million using funds from a 2001 referendum and from land-cash donations from developers. If it had not purchased the 25 acres, it faced paying $1 million in attorney fees to the Brach-Brodie trust.
Mark Metzger, school board president, said the deal included a clause regarding the future sale of the land.
"We agreed that if we didn't construct a school on that site, we would offer Brach-Brodie trust the opportunity to buy the land at the price we paid for it," Metzger said.
Tough decision
When the district decided to go back to the voters in March 2006 with a $124.6 million referendum for a third high school (which residents accepted), it went back to the Brach-Brodie attorneys; however, they did not come to an agreement for the 55 acres adjacent to the 25 the district already owned.
After negotiations failed, the district filed a condemnation lawsuit for the 55 acres, which dragged through the court system until September when a jury determined the land would cost almost twice what the district planned to pay - $518,250 an acre. On top of that, if the district accepts the offer, it would have to pay $2.5 million in damages on the remaining 71 acres in the Brach-Brodie estate that faces Route 59. The district has no plans to purchase that land.
The district has until Saturday to act on the offer of $518,250 an acre. Metzger said the board is considering four sites for Metea, and if it decides not to go with the Brach-Brodie land, the district could just walk away, although it would likely face paying Brach-Brodie attorney fees.
Increased costs
Metzger said the delays in not acquiring the land sooner have caused the cost of virtually everything to increase.
"This has cost us about $23 million," Metzger said in reference to the first failed referendum for Metea. "That seems to be lost on a lot of people."
This number is one Metzger came up with to compensate for lost time, rising costs and inflation, among other factors.
"If we could have begun construction in April or May via quick-take powers, we wouldn't be facing additional costs for an accelerated timeframe so we can deliver the building in a timely fashion," Metzger said. "We also could have easily afforded the land at that ($518,250) price and even given some back to the taxpayers, but not anymore."
The district sought quick-take powers from the state Legislature. If granted, the one-time use powers would have given the district the authority to take immediate possession of the land and let a jury later set the price per acre. Metzger said quick take would have saved the district anywhere from $8 million to $13 million in escalated construction materials and labor costs. The quick-take legislation made it to committee but never reached the state House floor. After that, it quietly disappeared.
The district wants to open the 3,000-seat high school in 2009 with freshmen and sophomores. At that time, the district would also turn the Waubonsie Valley High School freshman center back into a middle school.
Due to the wording of the referendum, the district can only use those funds to build a third high school, not additions or a middle school.
The school board is scheduled to meet tonight in executive session to further discuss the issue. Metzger has not said whether a decision will be made after discussions tonight or if they will have to schedule another special meeting.
October 25, 2007
By BRITT CARSON Staff Writer
In 2005, the land for Metea Valley High School would have cost $19.6 million.
In 2007, 55 of those same 80 acres will cost Indian Prairie School District 204 almost $28.5 million.
Not much of a land deal, unless the clock is ticking. And it seems to be for the district if the board still wants to build the new school on 80 acres of the Brach-Brodie property. Saturday looms large - the deadline for accepting a jury's ruling of $518,250 an acre - but almost $8.9 million more in two years for fewer acres is a hard number to swallow.
The back story
In 2005, the district asked residents to approve a $130.5 million referendum measure for a third high school. The district also negotiated a deal for all 80 acres for $19.6 million.
The school district filed a condemnation lawsuit for 25 of the 80 acres in 2003, which it originally intended to use for a middle school. Before the 2005 high school referendum, the deal included the 25 acres for $256,000 an acre and the additional 55 acres, not under condemnation, for $240,000 an acre.
The 80 acres, or the Brach-Brodie property, are located along 75th Street and the future extension of Commons Drive in Aurora.
Voters defeated that April 2005 referendum. However, the district still was able to purchase the 25 acres under condemnation for $6.4 million using funds from a 2001 referendum and from land-cash donations from developers. If it had not purchased the 25 acres, it faced paying $1 million in attorney fees to the Brach-Brodie trust.
Mark Metzger, school board president, said the deal included a clause regarding the future sale of the land.
"We agreed that if we didn't construct a school on that site, we would offer Brach-Brodie trust the opportunity to buy the land at the price we paid for it," Metzger said.
Tough decision
When the district decided to go back to the voters in March 2006 with a $124.6 million referendum for a third high school (which residents accepted), it went back to the Brach-Brodie attorneys; however, they did not come to an agreement for the 55 acres adjacent to the 25 the district already owned.
After negotiations failed, the district filed a condemnation lawsuit for the 55 acres, which dragged through the court system until September when a jury determined the land would cost almost twice what the district planned to pay - $518,250 an acre. On top of that, if the district accepts the offer, it would have to pay $2.5 million in damages on the remaining 71 acres in the Brach-Brodie estate that faces Route 59. The district has no plans to purchase that land.
The district has until Saturday to act on the offer of $518,250 an acre. Metzger said the board is considering four sites for Metea, and if it decides not to go with the Brach-Brodie land, the district could just walk away, although it would likely face paying Brach-Brodie attorney fees.
Increased costs
Metzger said the delays in not acquiring the land sooner have caused the cost of virtually everything to increase.
"This has cost us about $23 million," Metzger said in reference to the first failed referendum for Metea. "That seems to be lost on a lot of people."
This number is one Metzger came up with to compensate for lost time, rising costs and inflation, among other factors.
"If we could have begun construction in April or May via quick-take powers, we wouldn't be facing additional costs for an accelerated timeframe so we can deliver the building in a timely fashion," Metzger said. "We also could have easily afforded the land at that ($518,250) price and even given some back to the taxpayers, but not anymore."
The district sought quick-take powers from the state Legislature. If granted, the one-time use powers would have given the district the authority to take immediate possession of the land and let a jury later set the price per acre. Metzger said quick take would have saved the district anywhere from $8 million to $13 million in escalated construction materials and labor costs. The quick-take legislation made it to committee but never reached the state House floor. After that, it quietly disappeared.
The district wants to open the 3,000-seat high school in 2009 with freshmen and sophomores. At that time, the district would also turn the Waubonsie Valley High School freshman center back into a middle school.
Due to the wording of the referendum, the district can only use those funds to build a third high school, not additions or a middle school.
The school board is scheduled to meet tonight in executive session to further discuss the issue. Metzger has not said whether a decision will be made after discussions tonight or if they will have to schedule another special meeting.
, we are all aware of the rising costs in construction over the past few years.