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Thursday, December 21, 2006

Following the new life for an old school

Blacksburg Middle School

After months of debate, Blacksburg Town Council in October approved a Montgomery County School Board plan to build a new Blacksburg High School stadium off Prices Fork Road, making way for the eventual redevelopment of the 20-acre old Blacksburg Middle School site.

An ad-hock committee made up of Montgomery County Supervisors, town council members and residents is meeting monthly to discuss how the redevelopment will be accomplished. Read minutes from meetings of the Old Blacksburg Middle School Transition Committee here: 11/15/06 meeting.

County officials hope sale or lease of the old school property will net several million dollars for other school building needs. Several commercial proposals, including a large-scale retail mall, residential projects and mixed-use developments have been considered for the site over since 2004.

Other school building needs stand in the way of any immediate action on the old middle school site, however.

The Montgomery County School Board still owns the old school and resolved in 2004 that it would turn over the property for redevelopment only after a new Blacksburg High School stadium plan was underway.

The resolution also requires that county supervisors came up either with a site for a new Prices Fork Elementary School or a place to put those students during renovations of the current elementary school.

County supervisors are currently negotiating behind closed doors to buy land in Elliston and Prices Fork for new elementary schools.

Stay tuned as more stories are posted. And post your thoughts in the meantime.

Most recent stories

  • Council holds firm on old school property
  • Is a resolution ahead for old Blacksburg school property?
  • Committee plans design contest
  • Official: Reopen stadium debate
  • Future of old Blacksburg Middle School discussed
  • Middle school exodus creates space crunch
  • Middle school's future is next challenge
  • Council vote keeps Blacksburg stadium alive
  • School closing causes disappointment, disruption
  • Board votes to close old Blacksburg Middle School
  • Students weigh in on stadium debate
  • Official: Old BMS should be a school
  • 2005: Group wants community use for former school site
  • Blacksburg wrestles with new stadium project
  • Neighbors fret about planned school stadium
  • Montgomery County land deal moves sale of old school closer
  • Blacksburg school site may soon exit limbo
  • Town tries to balance character, commerce
  • County, school board inch closer to middle school agreement
  • Bill on surplus school property intensifies storm
  • Montgomery Co. ponders old school's future
  • New River projects unfruitful
  • School Board may turn property over to Montgomery County
  • 2004: YMCA at Tech still wants to preserve former middle school
  • School officials discuss giving up middle school property
  • Montgomery County considers procedure for offers
  • From a school to a mall?
  • Much happening at semi-retired school
  • School future goes behind closed doors
  • 2003: Future of old BMS uncertain again
  • Town considers managing old school as community center
  • Endangered structures
  • Opinion

    Sale of school property is a win-win situation

    Issue is spending, not stadium; Stadium is coming, in Blacksburg or not

    The school decision: community or commodity?

    Leadership is key to school property debate

    There is no middle school plan; there is only talk

    It's too soon to judge mall option

    Documents

    Don Langrehr's e-mail on mall proposal

    County land contract for Blacksburg High stadium project

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