Should what City Manager Chris Pozzuto called ongoing talks come to fruition, Springboro schools and the city have discussed a swap involving about a third of that land.
SHP Architecture ranked highest among a handful of professional design firms submitting proposals to the district, said Scott Gilbert, Springboro’s chief operations officer for the district.
The district is moving forward on talks with that firm “related to its potential construction of a new school building, exterior facility, and other renovation/additions, the exact nature of which are still emerging,” according to a resolution approved by the Springboro board of education Wednesday night.
“We would go through a negotiations process with SHP,” Gilbert said. “If we don’t reach an agreement … then we would move down the line as far as the ranking is concerned.”
The district has worked with SHP in the past, but negotiation could vary, he said. Fanning Howey ranked second.
No projected costs were part of the submissions, and rankings are based on a state process, Gilbert said. Those rankings included services provided, use of consultants, the history with the school board and any litigation history, he added.
If an agreement is reached with SHP, district officials have said it would analyze the Easton land as well as all the school district’s properties and facilities, which range from a 95-year-old intermediate school to elementary schools built this century.
While the district’s enrollment of about 6,100 has not changed much in recent years, officials said facilities are getting older.
Springboro Intermediate School was built in 1929, Clearcreek Elementary in 1968, the junior high 11 years later and the high school in 1997, Superintendent Carrie Hester said.
The city last month approved a measure to enter into a purchase agreement with Easton Farm Partners, LLC with the aim of swapping about 20 acres with the school district.
City officials said they had been approached by representatives of the farm’s owners and hope to reach an agreement with the school district about trading land, including the farm acreage at 605 N. Main St
Various developments have been proposed on that site dating back to 2008. Two years ago, it was the focus of a court settlement.
The court decision allows housing, retail and commercial development on land separate from the acreage Springboro is interested in buying.
The city and the school district are seeking a deal involving several properties, both sides said. Aside from the 20-acre Easton Farm site, it would involve current school district land at the former Jonathan Wright Elementary and Clearcreek Elementary, as well as maintenance and use of Wade Field at the Springboro Intermediate School, district officials said.
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