The Minneapolis school board is expected to vote next month on whether to move the district's headquarters from the decrepit former light-bulb factory it occupies in northeast Minneapolis to a new facility on district property on the North Side. The district's administration recommends the $27.5 million new building as a way to save money in the long run, because it would consolidate four buildings into one and use less energy.
The administration is looking for a space to "meet the needs of the district in the 21st century," Steve Liss, the district's chief of operations, told the board Tuesday night. "We think that now is the right time -- that if we delay any further, costs will rise."
The current headquarters has been the district's home for about 50 years. Just west of the intersection at Broadway and Central Avenues NE., the building provides work space for more than 300 people in more than 237,000 square feet.
The new building, to be built at 1250 W. Broadway, would be ready for employees by the summer of 2012. It could house about 600 employees who now are spread over four sites throughout the city, Liss said.
The district would work with Mortenson Development and Legacy Management and Development Corp. on the West Broadway site.
The district estimated the 30-year cost of doing nothing at $90 million, because the current headquarters is inefficient and can't fit all the staff. Officials estimate the 30-year cost of the West Broadway site at about $73 million.
The school board also could consider rebuilding the current headquarters, at a cost of $27 million, or moving into the iconic Valspar building in downtown Minneapolis at a cost of $27.5 million. The estimated 30-year cost of both sites is around the same as moving to the West Broadway site, Liss said.
The board plans to further discuss the move at an April 6 workshop and vote on the plan on April 13. It will likely hold a meeting the week of April 6 to gather community input.
Emily Johns • 612-673-7460
