By split vote Monday, Wake County Commissioners approved purchasing the YWCA to use for a future school.
The property will be added to the county’s land bank; funding for a new school isn’t yet available.
Chairman Paul Coble and Commissioners Tony Gurley and Phil Matthews voted against the purchase.
Coble said he would not support the purchase because he did not think it was in a priority area, it is too small and that the county was paying too much for it.
The county will pay $1 million for the 3-acre property and building on Hargett Street. The property was appraised for $1.1 million.
School District Facilities Manager Joe Desormeaux said at the previous county meeting that it was a good opportunity to purchase land inside the Beltline at a reasonable price. It also offers the flexibility not found on other comparable parcels.
At Monday’s meeting, Desormeaux said the school would fill a much-needed space in that part of the county. The area has a seat shortfall for elementary, middle and high school students.
“The central region elementary seat shortfall is the worst in the county,” he said.[media-credit id=25 align=”alignright” width=”300″]
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It is the only school region without a land-banked site.
Desormeaux said it was likely that the area would be used as an elementary school, but no plans have been finalized because there isn’t any funding.
Staff estimates renovations will cost about $900,000 in construction and $200,000 for site work.
If the county demolishes the building and constructs a new one, the property could hold a building that would house 300 to 500 students.
The former YWCA is across the street from the county-owned A.A. Thompson Building, which will house the Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy.
In related business Monday, Commissioners approved reallocating $1.65 million for the academy’s construction.
Commissioners also reallocated $2.9 million for the Wake Young Women’s Leadership Academy at the Governor Morehead School on Ashe Avenue.
Because the property is state-owned, the county extended its lease with the Governor Morehead School for the Blind.
