$1.15M offered by Miami for old Talawanda High School

Talawanda District Treasurer Mike Davis cautioned that the votes last week only authorized the district and university to proceed with negotiations toward a mutually agreeable purchase agreement. He said that process should begin soon.

For Miami, purchase is pending an environmental assessment and must be approved by the Ohio Board of Regents and the state controlling board. For Talawanda, the board of education must vote on the final purchase agreement, once that has been negotiated.

“The Miami offer is for the school site, exclusive of the Nelson-Morrow Building (on the east side of Collins Run Road) and the school district office building (at the west side of the site),” Davis said, adding that Miami has agreed to allow the district to lease the current transportation building and bus parking and garage area at the rear of the building.

Davis said Miami will lease that portion back to the district so that transportation services can continue to use it for up to five years, allowing flexibility to find an alternative arrangement.

University spokeswoman Claire Wagner, director of the University News and Communications office, said no decision has yet been reached about use of the former high school property but several possibilities are being considered.

“There is no confirmed use, but with 27 acres, it opens the possibility of expansion for more recreational area for students,” Wagner said this week. “As for the building use, there is nothing planned for academic use. It is too far from the campus. It may be used for office space.”

Davis said the district and university want to move the sale along as quickly as possible and added it was his understanding that the state controlling board meets in mid-July, which gives them a target to complete negotiations on a purchase agreement.

“We have an agreement in principle, the purchase price is set and the other piece of the process is another level of action by the Talawanda board,” Davis said, referring to a resolution approving the purchase agreement once it is negotiated.

Last week’s board vote authorized that process going forward. He expects it to be done soon since he received an e-mail from Miami by late last Friday afternoon following the board of trustees’ action that morning.