Wednesday, September 23, 2009
The Midway school district is almost ready to begin construction on its new administration building, thanks to a gift of real estate from a Waco businessman.
Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of Waco-based fitness chain Curves International, has donated 5 acres of land on Highway 84 for Midway Independent School District’s new administration building. The Midway school board formally accepted the donation at a meeting last week.
The land, which lies between Ritchie and Wickson roads, has been appraised at $828,000.
“It’s a beautiful piece of property, it really is,” Midway ISD Superintendent Brad Lancaster said. “(Heavin) readily agreed to do that for us and was very generous about it.”
Three other sites were being considered for the building, two of which are in flood plains and would take extensive work and roughly $250,000 to make usable, Lancaster said.
About $5.5 million has been budgeted for the administration building, but the district hopes to come in under budget, he said. The district has come in about $6.3 million under budget so far on its nearly $76 million worth of bond projects.
The administration staff is split between a small building that houses about 15 people and a wing at Midway Middle School. Lancaster said both the central administration staff and middle school students just need more room.
“We had two choices: We could either build a $5 million administration building now or a $35 million middle school in a couple of years,” Lancaster said.
Midway Middle School Principal Jennifer Allison said it will be nice to have room to spread out and grow.
The school currently has about 1,015 students, but enrollment fluctuates throughout the year, she said.
“We’re close, but we’re not uncomfortable,” Allison said.
When the administrators move out of the wing, about eight classrooms will be freed up. Allison said she has yet to decide how to rededicate the space.
Huckabee Architectural Services already has the designs for the new administration building. The building will be a mix of stone and wood with a metal roof, Lancaster said, with the intention of complementing the nearby Curves headquarters.
It may look like other buildings, with a Hill Country-style facade, but the new building seeks to set itself apart in its environmental impact.
The district is having the building constructed to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards. The LEED rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council, evaluates environmental impact.
The building will have low-flow fixtures with sensors, and recycled materials will be used. A large cistern, located at the right of the building, will collect rainwater to be used in irrigation.
Lancaster said the district will recognize the Heavins’ donation and have a groundbreaking in November.
wgragg@wacotrib.com
757-6901
Comments
By Doug Saylor
Sep 23, 2009 7:47 AM | Link to this
I applaud the use of a rainwater cistern for irrigation!
The existing infrastructure almost always points to the same ol' ways of doing things. Why do we use treated, drinkable water in our toilets? Because that's the only option most of us have. Why does our bath water create an additional load for the water treatment plant instead of using it to help water our lawn? Same reason: that's all we know and it's certainly the path of least resistance.
Midway's administration building is correcting past sins the only way it can be done reasonably--by drawing a line in the sand and changing new infrastructures. The Waco Chamber did it, and it works.
Our company has worked with some large and small sprinkler systems to make them smart. By "smart," I mean better for the plants while lowering the water bills. It's not that it is no trouble or initial expense. It's that the trouble and expense create a better mousetrap--with a definite payback. It may take a few years for Midway to recoup the expense of this cistern, but it will happen. And then they will be making money by the savings created.
Cisterns may not be practical for all of us, but this kind of leadership in water stewardship is remarkable and needed.
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