It looks like the city’s plan to force the EPISD off the land that the district’s central office is on is continuing.
Item 3.2 on the April 29, 2014 consent agenda of the city council meeting is a resolution that allows the city manager to sign an amendment of the 50 year old lease agreement between EPISD and the city. The lease is for the land that the EPISD central office is on. Previously in Save the EPISD central office we saw that the city wants the district to be off the land by 2019.
District officials are telling us that the replacement facility will cost $40 million. If recent estimates of the cost of public projects are indicative of what this project will really cost then we are talking about bond issue kinds of money.
The city plans to extend the lease for three years with two one year options. That brings us to 2019.
We have some time. Hopefully the new city manager and the next election cycle at the city will bring some fiscal responsibility back.
This is $40 million and more that we do not need to spend.
On the other hand, if moving the central office is the right thing to do for the school district they should take a hard look at the many industrial buildings that are now vacant in El Paso. Our situation is that we have the 4th most expensive property taxes among the top 50 cities in the United States (see Top of the list). Businesses are leaving El Paso. Some are moving to Santa Teresa.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 
The Club probably wants EPISD HQ downtown in one of their buildings, paying rent to The Club. City Hall just has to play along.
LikeLike
The question should be WHY does the city want the land that the district offices are on? Is there a legitimate reason? Has it been articulated to anyone?
The Region 19 ESC offices have a lease until 2025. Since these two properties are next to each other, why not extend the EPISD lease until 2025, then both EPISD and Region will have to vacate and that makes a much bigger piece of property to play with. And it give both the Region and the district 10 years to make arrangements.
LikeLike