BYU to Purchase Provo High School Land (25 Acres)

[smac97]

I live in Provo, so this has been only a rumor until now:

Quote

Brigham Young University will expand its footprint by 25 acres after purchasing the property currently occupied by Provo High School.

Provo School District's school board approved the $25 million sale Tuesday morning, including a 30-month lease agreement that will allow the 62-year-old school to use the property for free while a new high school is constructed on the city's west side.

School district spokesman Caleb Price said the new location, near 1300 North Lakeshore Drive, is expected to be completed in time for the 2018-2019 academic year.

...

Price said the school district received offers from multiple interested buyers before agreeing to sell the property to BYU, which is owned by the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

...

University spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said there are not yet plans for how the property will be used following the 30-month lease period.

"It was an opportunity for us," Jenkins said of the sale. "We are pleased to be able to purchase this property."

BYU has been largely landlocked for years.  This is probably the last time BYU will ever be able to materially enlarge its geographic footprint.

It will be interesting to see how this changes Provo.  For example, I live between where Provo High School is now and its soon-to-be location.  And the soon-to-be location shoehorns Provo High School between Utah Lake and residential neighborhoods.  This means a lot of the traffic for the high school will be funneled from the East.  This means widening my street (probably), which may mean I lose my house.  Still, I am happy that A) Provo High School is getting a better building, and B) BYU will have an additional 25 acres for it to pursue its educational objectives.

Thanks,

-Smac

[Calm]

Iirc, they could take out the east side of the street south of the campus north of Bulldog BLvd.  There are some older buildings, a few restaurants, a hotel, a musuem spring to mind...no remarkable buildings that would be missed.  I think the west side of the block might have too important buildings on, but that might be one street down.

[Calm]

So looking at Google earth, it looks like they may have about a third of the block already with the Information Tech building.  The only other major building is the Riviera Apt complex which is getting up there in age.

[Calm]

There is also Wasatch Elementary School and Kiwanis Park (the last would be a shame though).

[Calm]

They can always take out the golf course though it would be a good hike to get there.

[Freedom]

My kids go to a highschool with some 3,000 students and it is in a residential neighborhood of snooty rich people. It is a bit congested for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon but the otherwise it works fine without making any roads to lanes.