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Keith Benman
The NWI Times
Gary School Board wants up to $6M for land
Gary Community School Corp. has upped the ante in its dispute with the Gary airport regarding two parcels of rare habitat, stating it believes the land is worth $3.75 million to $6 million.
The Gary/Chicago International Airport Authority maintains the two parcels are worth far less, relying on appraisals it commissioned that give the parcels a combined value of $368,000.
"It just shows how unreasonable and ridiculous they are in their assumption," airport Director Chris Curry said Monday.
School Board President Nellie Moore has confirmed Gary schools received a value similar to the airport's estimate when it had the parcels appraised last year.
On Monday, school corporation Communications Director Sarita Stevens said the new figure was calculated after "talking to some state, regional, and national experts on the value of wetlands."
In an April 1 letter, Moore told airport authority President Marion Johnson the land could be worth up to $90,000 per acre, meaning it would have a value of about $9 million.
"Now we can begin the process of negotiations," Moore wrote.
Gary airport officials complain they have been doing just that for more than three years, with no discernible progress.
"This is the first time they ever put on paper what they think it is worth," Curry said.
The airport wants to use the two school corporation parcels as federally mandated replacements for about 40 acres of environmentally sensitive dune-and-swale habitat that will be plowed under by the extension of its main runway.
The two parcels the airport wants to buy total 103 acres. One is known as Tolliston Woods, which is near Burr Street and 21st Avenue, and the other is known as the Miller School property, at 6000 Miller Ave.
Both are empty parcels that environmental regulators have said would be suitable replacements for the dune-and-swale habitat that would disappear as part of the runway project, Curry said.
The airport would purchase the land with money provided by the Federal Aviation Administration. FAA guidelines require the airport pay no more than the appraised price, Curry said.
This article ran on nwitimes.com on April 7, 2009.
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