Buckeye council approves land swap with Buckeye Union, clearing way for shared parking and school facilities

The Buckeye City Council on July 7 approved an intergovernmental agreement to exchange city-owned assets and investments for 57 acres plus Fillmore Street and 120 acre-feet per year of water capacity from Buckeye Union High School District.

Economic development director Susie Boyles told the council the exchange is structured as an equal-value trade. She said a third-party appraisal valued the 57 acres plus Fillmore Street at $13,100,000 and the water capacity at $473,000, which staff presented as part of the $13,570,000 balance the city will receive. Staff also said the city will invest in improvements to two city parcels (the A Wing and the 620 property), and pay related brokerage fees so the assets are equalized. "We want to do an equal asset exchange and an equal investment," Boyles said during her presentation.

Buckeye Union Superintendent Dr. Beebe said the swap addresses the district’s growing administrative and transportation needs and keeps future taxpayer asks for administrative space from being required in the near term. "We've tried to be great partners back to you," he told the council, adding the A Wing has historical value to the district.

The agreement also includes a separate shared-parking arrangement with West MEC (sometimes referred to in the meeting as Westmeck). Under the proposed access agreement, the city and West MEC would share Parking Lots A and B under mutually agreed terms when the city takes ownership; staff said the shared-parking arrangement would take effect at deed transfer, anticipated November 2028. The negotiated deal removes West MEC’s first right of refusal on the parking-lot land; in exchange, the city committed to relocate parking if it moves within five years and to share relocation costs in years 6–10.

Council members pressed staff on the land's likely uses and downtown impacts. Councilmember Berry said his constituents oppose siting a bus-storage facility (a so-called "bus barn") at the city-owned 620 property near downtown and warned of a double standard if private retail proposals were judged more harshly. "Having a bus barn entering into downtown is not the right look for our city," he said. Boyles responded that the city had no predetermined plan for the 57 acres and that the downtown-specific area plan (DSAP) and contractual commitments in the IGA will require the district to meet design standards for the 620 improvements.

After a motion to continue the two items to the September 1 meeting failed on roll call, council voted to approve the IGA. The roll-call vote on agenda item 5f recorded four ayes and three nays; the motion carried. Council then approved the separate shared-parking agreement (agenda item 5g) in a subsequent vote; that motion passed with at least one recorded nay (Councilmember Berry).

Staff said approval initiates a 120-day due-diligence period; if all proceeds, the city will begin the agreed capital improvements and the deeds would transfer by November 2028, at which point the new parking agreement would be operative. Boyles emphasized the action before council did not request new budget authority for the CIP work: "You are not authorizing any new money into the city budget for this," she said, noting the CIP funds were included in the FY‑27 budget.

The district and city representatives said they would return to their respective governing boards for final approvals and to complete due diligence and escrow steps. The council vote ends the July 7 consideration and sends staff to carry out the next steps defined in the IGA and related agreements.