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Board hears CIP update: middle school on track; Oak Lawn and Walker both under consideration for early learning center
Summary
City capital development staff reported the middle school construction is complete and on schedule and discussed moving the proposed early childhood learning center from Walker to Oak Lawn pending legal and historical review. Staff reiterated the opening timeline (about three years) and cited project cost estimates including a $650,000 playground and $1.4 million Trailblazer improvements.
City capital development and school staff updated the board on a range of capital-improvement projects, from the middle-school construction to the early childhood learning center site decision and multiple priority improvements across the division.
Stuart Harding (capital development) said the middle-school project is progressing well: “The first major building is complete and occupied… it’s on schedule and on budget,” and the renovation work will finish this summer so the building can be fully occupied in the next school year. Board members asked whether the middle-school delivery would remain on budget and staff said they expect to land it on budget, though line items can sharpen as bid documents are finalized.
A central theme was the early childhood learning center. Staff reported active negotiations with the university on turnover of the Oak Lawn property — a historic site with a house and cemetery — and said the university is interested in giving the property to the city for school use. The city attorney is still negotiating terms, and staff flagged that view-shed protections and historic covenants will constrain buildable areas. Staff said the division is treating Oak Lawn and the Walker site as one project for planning purposes and that the project remains roughly three years from opening with current funding in place. One board member asked for a placeholder on the CIP spreadsheet and staff explained the budget increase from $30 million to $36 million reflects inflation and evolving project design.
Staff outlined several near-term projects and estimated costs: an early-childhood/temporary pre-K playground (~$650,000), Trailblazer classroom improvements (~$1,400,000), Greenbrier restroom renovations (~$700,000), a turf replacement with an added net (work expected to take about three to four weeks), and a completed solar installation at KTEC costing about $800,000. Staff also said engineering work shows CHS and the middle school are structurally adequate to host large rooftop solar arrays and that a PPA is under development.
Board members asked for more documentation about Oak Lawn and for an opportunity to review inspection and historic reports before final decisions. Staff agreed to share the UVA historic survey and to facilitate further board review and city–school discussions.
Next steps: city attorney and partners continue negotiations on Oak Lawn, staff will provide additional project details and site surveys, and the CIP process will reflect the division’s choices and emerging costs.
