Willmar Schools approves purchase agreement for land for new school

Site — The Willmar School Board has approved a purchase agreement for the land known as the Hawkinson site at the intersection of Lakeland Drive and Willmar Avenue, near the Pheasant Run neighborhood in southeastern Willmar. The land will be used to construct a new elementary school. DAN BURDETT | TRIBUNE

By Linda Vanderwerf

November 02, 2015 at 3:13 PM

WILLMAR - The Willmar School Board has approved a purchase agreement to purchase 32 acres of undeveloped land at the intersection of Lakeland Drive and Willmar Avenue in southeastern Willmar.

The purchase price for the land known as the Hawkinson site will be $800,000. Closing is set for Dec. 2.

The land will be the site of a new elementary school that was approved by the school district's voters in a bond referendum in May. The school is expected to open in fall 2017.

The School Board approved the agreement at a special meeting Monday morning.

The purchase agreement allows the school district access to the property before closing.

Superintedent Jeff Holm told the board that it's important to start testing soil conditions as soon as possible. Soil borings could start as soon as Wednesday, he said.

Negotiations on three possible school locations had started in May, and the Hawkinson site was chosen as the final site about three weeks ago.

By Linda Vanderwerf

In 42 years in the newspaper industry, Linda Vanderwerf has worked at several daily newspapers in Minnesota, including the Mesabi Daily News, now called the Mesabi Tribune in Virginia. Previously, she worked for the Las Cruces Sun-News in New Mexico and the Rapid City Journal in the Black Hills of South Dakota. She has been a reporter at the West Central Tribune for nearly 27 years.

Vanderwerf can be reached at email: lvanderwerf@wctrib.com or phone 320-214-4340