MFL MarMac to purchase CVG property
The MFL MarMac School District is purchasing the former Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) property in Monona. The site is located on West Spruce Street, across the street from the MFL MarMac baseball field, and would add five acres to the Monona campus. (Photo by Audrey Posten)
By Audrey Posten | Times-Register
The MFL MarMac School District is purchasing the former Commercial Vehicle Group (CVG) property in Monona. The school board, at its Feb. 9 regular meeting, approved the purchase for $400,000, plus half the asbestos abatement process—totaling $441,000 overall.
The site is located on West Spruce Street, across the street from the MFL MarMac baseball field, and has been vacant for several years since CVG operations ceased there. The price has dropped multiple times from the original $1.675 million.
MFL MarMac Superintendent Tim Dugger said the recent reduction in the purchase price made the property more affordable for the district.
According to Dugger, sales tax funds will be used to complete the purchase, which will add five acres to the Monona campus.
The district said the purchase will be final in the next two weeks, if the abstract and title are received as expected.
Clayton County Recycling has offered to demolish all existing buildings and remove the materials at no cost to the district, with the exception of the hoop building.
According to Dugger, the land will remain vacant while the district develops a long-term plan for its future use. There is no current date of when the demolition will take place.
“The school board was extremely interested in gaining land attached to the current Monona campus, which can be used for future development,” Dugger said.
Also at last week’s meeting, the school board tabled bids for the bus garage project. During a public hearing, concerns were raised about the size of buildings and construction materials used, the necessity of a pit versus a lift for bus maintenance, as well as the need for keeping buses inside. Insurance costs were brought up as well.
The board has been working with Martin Gardner Architecture (MGA) for months on plans for the project, aiming to meet district needs while remaining cost-effective.
In December, Brian Stark from MGA estimated the project at $1.3 million for a maintenance garage and $3 million overall with inclusion of a bus barn. He told the board MFL MarMac could include the maintenance garage in a base bid, then an alternate bid with the bus barn, with bids potentially determining if the school district completes both phases of the project at once or separately.
Additionally, the school board accepted the resignations of Lary Walter as assistant baseball coach and Diane Fisk as high school musical director, and approved the hiring of Abbey Cottrell as elementary principal. Cottrell has been serving as assistant principal and Dugger as principal, but the board expressed interest in having one full-time administrator in the elementary principal position. The move will free up Dugger to work more with new high school principal Chet Bachman when he starts that role next school year.
