Collegiate Times

Abandoned for more than six years, the old Blacksburg Middle School site located on South Main Street will be sold and redeveloped through a civic design competition.

A resolution passed by the Montgomery County School Board calls for the property to be sold, generating funds for Montgomery County School Board capital improvement projects.

A joint committee of Montgomery County and Blacksburg officials was created to discuss plans for the property that would benefit both bodies. Committee member Gary McCoy said all interests had to be taken into consideration.

"We wanted it to live up to what the Board of Supervisors wanted, in revenue," McCoy said. "And the town of Blacksburg wanted to keep green space, not have an apartment complex."

The committee decided a design competition would be used to determine future plans for the property.

"There are several different reasons for putting it out there," McCoy said. "We want to see if there is some good use that we haven't thought of yet."

However, Montgomery County Board of Supervisors member Gary Creed said he was not confident a sale would be made in the near future.

"I think it should have been done years ago, but I don't know how long it will take to get it done. I thought we had it done last year, but apparently we didn't," Creed said.

Last year, the school board decided to reconsider the uses of the area. However, it has now declared the site to be surplus.

The school board will work in conjunction with Montgomery County and Blacksburg to coordinate the sale of the site.

Blacksburg Vice Mayor Leslie Hager-Smith said Blacksburg would monitor the future of 501 South Main St.

"We have done multiple surveys, and we are poised and prepared to make it a design competition," Hager-Smith said. "It is absolutely consistent, and almost unanimous that people want to see a civic development."

In the current economy, Hager-Smith said the town does not want the property to be used for commercial development.

Creed said the town of Blacksburg would control the future of the site.

"Blacksburg will have the ultimate say on the zoning of it," Creed said. "In order for it to bring in the maximum money, it needs to be rezoned."

Although Blacksburg has a say in the future of the property, Montgomery County will be the primary financial benefactor of the sale.

"My understanding is that the Board of Supervisors will get the money for the land and then, depending on what is on that property, Blacksburg will have the benefit of that space," McCoy said.

Money from the sale would go to the construction of new schools for Montgomery County, including two new elementary schools.

Currently, the Montgomery County School Board controls the property, but it could eventually be turned over to the Montgomery County Board of Supervisors.

"The school board still owns the property," McCoy said. "As far as I know, they have not turned it over to the Board of Supervisors. That would be the next step. Generally, property is turned over to the Board of Supervisors when the school board deems they don't need it anymore."