The-News-Leader.com - Schools to seek bids on 93 acre property

by Jeff Saunders

Reporter

Nordonia Hills -- The school district may sell 93 acres it owns in order to at least partially close an estimated $2-million shortfall in its $9.8-million high school athletic facilities reconstruction project.

The Board of Education unanimously approved a resolution authorizing the administration to seek bids on the vacant property, which is in a residential area off Dunham Road in Sagamore Hills.

"The purpose of this is to fund capital improvement projects, actually the outside athletic facilities," said District Business Manager Tom Hartman.

Hartman said he hopes the district will begin advertising for bids with a public notice next week. He said he expects it will include a minimum bid, but he said that amount has not yet been determined. Hartman said that under state law, a bid cannot be accepted until at least 30 days after public notice is given, so it "will be sometime after April 15" before the Board can make a decision.

District officials say that seeking bids on the land does not guarantee it will be sold and the resolution states that "the Board reserves the right to reject any and all bids."

"We don't have to accept anything," said Board President Doug Masteller.

Masteller said the Board has not decided the minimum bid that would be acceptable.

"We're not going to give the land away," he said.

"I would prefer not to sell the land if we can avoid it. But I think we at least need to see what we can get for it," said Board Vice President Greg Harris.

Superintendent Wayne Blankenship said he agrees that the district needs to be prudent about accepting a good price. He added seeking bids is an "opportunity to see what's out there."

The district purchased the land from the state in 2003 for $1.1 million. The property was the site of a former children's psychiatric hospital.

District officials said at the time they wanted to hold the land in reserve in case it is needed in coming years.

The district estimates that the two-phase gthletic facilities project, which began last August and is expected to take several years to complete, will cost about $9.8 million.

The project includes construction of a new stadium, additional parking, reconstructed fields and tennis courts and repairs of drainage problems throughout the complex.

The district has $6 million from a bond issue, to be repaid with a 0.42-mill, 22-year property tax levy voters approved in November 2008.

The district also has $1.8 million it set aside several years ago, leaving a gap of about $2 million. District officials have said that they hoped to fill the hole through private fundraising, such as selling naming rights to the entire complex, as well as parts of it.

Last June, the district paid two marketing firms, Cleveland-based Sports Facilities Marketing Group and Akron-based Berroteran Group, $30,000 to develop a plan.

The companies presented a plan in July, estimating nearly $900,000 could be raised over 10 years.

Under an agreement with the companies, they would have been paid a percentage of any money raised, but efforts have been very slow. Blankenship attributes this to a "tough economy."

Harris said the idea of selling the township property is not new and has been discussed by the Board for several years.

"So far, [the fundraising] has not worked out as well as we had hoped so this is our fallback," he said.

Board Member Betty Klingenberg said she still has concerns that selling the land could lead to problems later if it is needed.

"I think maybe we should sell it, maybe we shouldn't," she said. "I admit I'm waffling a bit."

Others say, however, that they have to balance present needs with what may be required in the future.

"We can't be in the business of holding onto land we may need in the distant future," said Masteller.

"It's sitting there right now, not fulfilling any immediate need," said Blankenship.

E-mail: jsaunders@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3169