Board inks land deal

NORWALK — The land sale saga between the Norwalk Schools board and Huron County commissioners seems to be on track to completion after the board signed a deal at a special session Wednesday night. The land deal is tied to a proposed Norwalk Schools project, which involves the construction of an entirely new elementary/middle, or pre-K-8, school on Shady Lane Drive designed to have an "open campus" with Norwalk High School. Norwalk Schools has secured a public bond that pays approximately $48 million for the construction, with the state funding the rest of the nearly $100 million project, which could be the largest single construction project in city history. The exact deal will see the board purchase just over 13 acres on Shady Lane Drive from the county for $30,000 per acre and "swap" 14 acres, including the plat containing Main Street Intermediate School. According to the deal, the board will be responsible for demolishing and remediating the school property and turning it over to the county as a "bare, buildable lot." During the session, the board voted unanimously to approve the final version of the deal. The board also moved to hire Garmann Miller and Associates Incorporated to oversee the project. The signed deal will now return to the commissioners for their signatures, which could happen as early as Tuesday. "According to the commission, commissioner (Harry) Brady should be back from vacation by Tuesday and they told us they plan to sign as soon as possible," Norwalk Schools superintendent Brad Cooley said.