Caldwell County school board members have voted to move forward with the purchase of the former bowling alley for the purpose of using the building as an indoor practice facility for sports teams.
The school board voted at its December meeting to petition the Kentucky Department of Education to get permission to purchase the roughly 18,000-square-foot building that sits on 2 acres of land for a cost of approximately $800,000.
At a special called meeting Monday night, Superintendent Dr. Jeremy Roach announced that the district had officially been granted permission by the Kentucky Department of Education to proceed with the acquisition. He said if there was no discussion or comments, he would need a motion to proceed with purchasing the property. However, board member Anna Ray said she visited the facility on Monday and stated that she feels many things had been hastily put together, and characterized it as a “money pit.”
click to download audioDr. Roach noted that it’s mostly aesthetic, but it met the approval of some of the district’s directors.
click to download audioAfter a question from board member Stephanie Feagan about what the cosmetics would include, Ray expressed her view of the facility, to which Roach noted that “it just needs to be cleaned.”
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Roach noted that the work that has already been done at the building that housed the former bowling alley has been “significant”.
click to download audioBoard member Kim Cook said it was important to point out that the building had been appraised for its full value, and that a plan needs to be put together in order to have the concerns addressed before the facility is ready for use.
click to download audioAfter further discussion, Roach highlighted the fact that the building was structurally sound, and the appraiser noted that it was a “rare find” in the market as there was no other building of its size available. He also mentioned that the cosmetic issues were easily fixable.
Feagan moved to approve the BG 23-302 property acquisition for the indoor practice facility, recognizing the potential of its cosmetic improvements discussed at the meeting, and the motion passed.
