School board members approved a counter offer of $40,000 per acre -- for a total of $440,800 -- for the property where the rodeo grounds are currently located on Monday night.
The school district would like to purchase the land along Cheri Whitlock Drive, which adjoins the back of the high school, to expand its baseball/softball facilities.
The city approved a sale price of $382,696, or $34,727 an acre, last October for an 11.02 acre portion of the property. City board members made the sale price contingent on costs for the new facility falling within a budget of $800,000. However, cost estimates to relocate the rodeo arena and facilities to property at 2251 South Lincoln Street came in much higher than expected at $1.4 million.
At their January meeting, city board members decided to hold off on the project because of the gap between the costs of a new facility and the original budget.
The school's new offer adds $60,000 to the sale price and moves closer to the city's estimate of what the property is worth. An appraisal commissioned by the city in August valued the land at $49,456 per acre for a total of $545,000 while an appraisal commissioned by the school in September found the land was worth just $19,964 an acre for a total of $220,400.
The school's counter offer sets several conditions for the sale in a memorandum of understanding, which states that the seller must agree to bring all city supplied utilities to the property to be in service by the time the sports fields, concession stands, restroom facilities and lighting are opened. It also requires the city to provide all of the concrete structures and poles necessary to support lighting fixtures.
In return, the school district will enter into an agreement to allow the city to use the new sports complex for "appropriately sanctioned organized sports programs to conduct practices, games and tournaments" when the facility is not being used by the school district.
The offer stipulates that the closing date for the sale must be prior to June 30, 2018, and the buyer must take possession of the property before June 20, 2019.
General News on 03/11/2018