Education

BCSD to purchase 2 pieces of land for new Tanner Plantation/Foster Creek school

The combination of proposal 1, Site #2 and proposal 2 would make the best school site for BCSD, according project managers for the proposed school.
The combination of proposal 1, Site #2 and proposal 2 would make the best school site for BCSD, according to project managers for the proposed school.

BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.—According to BCSD officials, the school board recently voted to purchase two pieces of land adjacent to Tanner Plantation for a hefty sum of money.

“No purchase amount has been negotiated up to his point, so we do not have an amount to publicly release,” stated Chip Surgis, spokesperson for the Berkeley County School District.

Hanahan city leaders initially offered three locations that would have cost the school district nothing to use the land. However, school board members and Hanahan leaders haven’t seen eye to eye on building plans.

“Initially, the entities were not able to identify the perfect parcel of land to build a new school. The School Board initiated a request for proposal so that property owners could offer their lands for consideration,” stated Surgis.

The new school is designed to alleviate overcrowding at Hanahan Elementary, Goose Creek Primary and Sedgefield Intermediate. When built, it will accommodate approximately 900 students. Surgis says the school district’s goal is to have the school school site proposalscompleted by August 2016.

“We are pleased to work with all concerned parties to move this process forward,” stated Surgis.

According to a slide presentation that the Capital Projects Department presented to the School Board on October 14, a 15-acre parcel of land Hanahan leaders offered to the district for free isn’t actually owned by the city.

It’s actually part of a 53-acre tract owned by the federal government which was once part of the nearby Naval Weapons Station.

Surgis says waiting to see if Hanahan gains control of this piece of land is too risky. As a result, the school district voted to purchase about 18 acres off of Williams Lane owned by Hanahan and another 10 acres of privately owned land next to it with access to Henry Brown Boulevard.

“Berkeley County School District is working diligently to secure the site,” Surgis told The Berkeley Observer. “It is our hope that the timelines would allow for us to complete our due diligence and complete construction by this time.”

The new school is expected to cost approximately $22 million to build and will be paid for funds generated by the ‘Yes 4 Schools’ campaign.

For additional information on the proposed site options for the new school, click here.

Prior Story:

Tensions build over new Hanahan school, leaders agree to work together

 

Nikki Gaskins Campbell
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