The Baldwin County School District had big plans back in 2019 when it paid $1.28 million for 22 acres along Ga. 49 and the bypass.
Those plans, however, never materialized, and now the School Board has decided to sell off the property. The BCSD announced on Tuesday that it it selling 15 acres of the property to Georgia College & State University. The sale price is $865,000. These 15 acres are located around the old Georgia State Patrol barracks and closer to Baldwin High. It also borders GCSU’s West Campus.
Next up are seven-plus acres closer to the bypass, occupied by the Georgia State Forestry Commission until 2017, with around 1,000 feet located directly along the bypass and another 400 feet along Ga. 49. The BCSD’s plan is to hire a realtor and put the property on the market.
“This targeted commercial sale will successfully return prime highway real estate to the county’s tax digest, bolstering the local economy and generating ongoing tax revenue for public services,” according to a BCSD press release.
The original plan, back in 2019, was to transform the old State Patrol barracks into an alternative school. The 8,000-square-foot brick building is now 41 years old. District leaders didn’t do their homework, however, and a construction management contractor later concluded the second floor of the building wouldn’t be able to support the weight of a school setting, while the entire building had numerous Americans with Disabilities Act issues.
It’s not immediately clear how GC&SU plans on utilizing its new property, although the school district press release made reference to “housing active first responders.”
“This mutual agreement serves as a powerful catalyst for regional development, paving the way for the intentional growth and support of GCSU’s West Campus,” according to the press release. “Furthermore, the collaboration directly strengthens local security infrastructure, as the site is envisioned to house active first responders, expanding vital safety services to benefit current and future BCSD families alike.”