Callaghan unveils plans for former Hy-Vee building

Two buildings recently acquired by the Newton Community School District are already Cardinal red — in an artist’s rendition, at least.

Newton School Superintendent Bob Callaghan made a presentation during the Newton Rotary Club’s weekly meeting, held Tuesday at the DMACC Newton Campus. He discussed several positive achievements across the district, but spent most of his time talking about some newly purchased property on the west side of town, which features the former Hy-Vee grocery building.

The entire property acquisition was recently purchased by NCSD for a cost of about $440,000. Callaghan unveiled an artist’s rendition that shows what a renovated, landscaped facility might look like.

Callaghan said the main 20,000-square-foot building on the site has been inspected for structural integrity, and the school district can use it. The inside has been gutted in terms of removing old equipment, so the district can renovate and use it for a variety of purposes.
"This is what we plan for the gateway into the community," Callaghan said. "We want to have a footprint. We are proud of who we are."

The superintendent said one aim is to no longer have the Basics & Beyond alternative school students, along with any other teenage students, occupying the same Emerson Hough building as the preschool, which is the current arrangement.

Administration offices and professional development are other uses Callaghan mentioned for the building.

The purchase of the property will be paid with sales tax money. A top-end renovation price of $2 million for the building was given at a recent school board meeting.

Along with that building and its 3.49 acres, a second piece of land was donated to the district. The land, which is located directly northeast of the building, is 1.89 acres and has no buildings.

The building will not be used to directly replace any current regular schools. Callaghan did mention to the Rotary audience some of the issues with the Berg elementary/middle school complex. The dual schools, which are more than 50 years old, have complex, heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical issues, and tens of millions of dollars will be needed to either upgrade or replace it.

“We might be able to use some of 1999 rebuild from the facility, and cut down on the amount of square footage to have to renovate or rebuild,” Callaghan said.

Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6530 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com