District signs lease option for community solar site, names Berglund Construction as construction manager

The Lockport Township High School District 205 board on Nov. 18 signed an option to lease a district-owned parcel on Cedar Road (159th Street) to Forefront Power as the district pursues a community solar project, Superintendent Dr. Bob McBride said.

McBride said the property is "about 107 acres" and that the district is proposing to use roughly 43 acres for the solar installation; he added the project would generate revenue for district building projects and would have "no tax impact" on property taxpayers. The meeting brief included a households figure about how many homes could buy into the project but the transcript number is unclear; the superintendent presented that households figure as an estimate.

Separately, McBride said the board approved Berglund Construction, which managed work at Central over the summer, to serve as construction manager for district projects moving forward.

Neither the option-to-lease agreement nor the construction-manager contract language was read into the public meeting brief and the superintendent did not provide vote tallies or mover/second details in the summary. Details about the solar project's timetable, customer subscription terms, revenue-sharing model, or required regulatory approvals were not specified in the meeting brief.

What happens next: The option-to-lease begins a formal relationship between the district and Forefront Power and the district will proceed with project planning and contractor oversight under Berglund Construction; additional public disclosures and approvals may follow as project details are developed.