Purpose & Timing
Why is new land needed?
Bexley School facilities have an average age of 84, with one school over 100 years old. Our facilities have served us well for decades due to the schools’ dedication to maintenance and upkeep. However, we believe that it is not good stewardship to continue on a path of spending to simply maintain our buildings. During our Strategic Plan development, our residents expressed a strong desire to upgrade and possibly expand our academic facilities and improve our athletic venues. The Strategic Plan specifically charged the district with finding new land for purchase or lease.
For many years, we have recognized that we do not have enough space for our student-athletes and team sports. And we have heard this from our community. Too often, teams must switch back and forth between early and late practices to give everyone equal access to field space, causing many of our students to arrive home late in the evening after practice. At least one coach has told us that practices are occasionally canceled, depending upon the logistics of working around other teams using the same venues. Parents and students also have shared that this demanding schedule can negatively impact students' social and emotional well-being or even their physical well-being.
The purchase of the property could simultaneously make way for us to expand our academic buildings on the Cassingham Complex by utilizing land currently used by athletics, as well as permit us to address playing fields and other outdoor activity concerns and opportunities. Our current facilities-planning work is a reflection of our community and its support to upgrade our buildings and athletic facilities. Looking toward the next 100 years, we believe upgrading and possibly expanding our academic facilities and improving our athletic amenities will positively impact our students for decades to come.
Why are the schools proposing to buy land now when a levy will be on the ballot?
We had an urgency to act on the purchase when the land was available for sale due to the rarity of this amount of space and its proximity to the district. Because of the district’s foresight in saving Permanent Improvement (PI) funds approved by voters in 2016, the board is able to purchase the land without requesting additional funds from voters to do so.
Why is this important to do now?
Our community-informed Strategic Plan charges us with exploring alternative facilities and buildings through partnerships, grants, leases, and purchasing opportunities. We have worked hard to develop local partnerships and lease agreements, talked with local leaders and developers, and considered the possibility of every land option identified, including land owned by Capital University, the current Africentric High School site, and others.
The district has partnered with the Jewish Community Center (JCC), and we appreciate its leaders’ willingness to help the district find land solutions in the past. The school district has considered long-term leases for practice or event fields with the JCC, Capital University, and St. Catharine’s Church, as well as with Columbus Parks and Recreation for land in the Clowson Field area.
With this opportunity, the board concluded that our district would be best served by owning the land on which it would develop rather than spending millions of dollars to develop venues on property we do not own. The purchase now permits us to achieve facilities improvement goals within our current planning process.
Project Details & Process
What is Bexley Schools doing on Cassady Avenue?
In mid-September, Bexley Schools signed a purchase agreement to acquire 28.36 acres of land north of Bexley, at 935 N. Cassady Ave., to develop an outdoor campus for potential outdoor learning and multiple field sports. This land is more than double what the district currently has on the Cassingham Complex.
Why was this not discussed publicly until the agreement was signed?
Like most agreements between buyers and sellers, confidentiality is paramount, and it has helped us avoid a potential bidding war with another interested party. The board received regular updates while we worked to secure a purchase agreement.
Why are the schools not purchasing land in Bexley?
Bexley School officials have searched for years for suitable land within Bexley city limits that is large enough to meet our needs and support our many field sports and practice spaces. No space in Bexley city limits is suitable in size or type and affordable for the district. Additionally, we were cognizant that any potential land purchase in the city would detract from our tax base because the schools are tax-exempt.
What sports or activities are anticipated for the outdoor complex?
No final decisions have been made regarding the scope of the new outdoor campus, though some sports venues are expected to be moved to the new site.
Once the deal is final, we will begin planning for this site and will seek input from our families, faculty, student-athletes, coaches, staff, and the Bexley community. Similar to how we have conducted our Strategic Planning and Facilities Planning processes in the last two years, we welcome and value the input from all of our stakeholders. Watch for communication regarding how to participate, likely beginning in December 2024 or January 2025.
Currently, we are working with our architects to see what athletic venues will make sense for this space. Under consideration are fields for baseball and softball, a regulation-sized track, a practice field that could accommodate our multiple-field sports, and tennis courts. One possibility is to create an athletic sports complex on the property similar to the Columbus Schools for Girls sports complex not far from the Cassady Avenue land. The complex could also be considered for outdoor classrooms and other educational opportunities.
How have the schools managed the lack of athletic space all of these years?
Some of our playing venues are in other areas near Bexley, including baseball, which is played at Columbus Parks & Rec’s Clowson Field. Some of our sports teams play and practice at Wolfe Park, which is managed by Columbus Parks and Rec. We appreciate the strong partnerships our schools have had with other organizations that have hosted Bexley sports or helped us hold events. We would not have been able to have the number of teams or quality of sports without their partnerships.
What about the athletic stadium? Would it move?
No. It has already been decided that the athletic stadium will remain at its current Cassingham location. Varsity sports contests for football, soccer, field hockey, and lacrosse, will likely remain at the athletic stadium; practices for these sports could take place at the new complex.
How will students get to the new complex? Will transportation be provided?
We currently provide a shuttle service for student-athletes to the JCC during Spring sports. Similar transportation options to the new complex will likely be available after school. We anticipate this need and are studying our options.
If sports venues move from the Cassingham Complex, what will happen to the land that is vacated?
When we began our Facilities Planning work earlier this year, it became clear that many of the most supported options for long-term facility improvements would involve moving some athletic facilities off of the Cassingham Complex. Freeing up land on the Cassingham Complex would give the school district numerous options to upgrade and even expand some of our academic facilities, benefiting all of our learners.
Funding & Financing
How will the land be paid for?
The land purchase will not be paid for with operating funds, and any funds raised as a result of the November 5th levy ballot issue (#36) will not pay for the purchase.
The school district has half of the cash required to purchase the land through savings of proceeds of the 2016 Permanent Improvement (PI) levy, and expects that it will be able to obtain the other half by an issuance of a tax anticipation note (TAN) using those same future revenues of PI. The school board authorized the issuance of these notes on October 9, 2024, in the amount of $3.5 million, which would leave some remaining PI funds for immediate needs. The amount of future revenues dedicated to debt payments is only 50% of the yearly revenues ($350,000) from the PI levy.
It’s important to understand that operating funds cannot pay for land development and, likewise, permanent improvement (PI) funds are not to be used for day-to-day operations. PI funds have restricted purposes in that they can only be used for capital expenditures that have a useful life of 5 years or longer.
The Treasurer's page on the website provides more information about PI revenues and the limitations on what they can and cannot fund.
Is the cost of this land a good deal for the schools?
The agreement calls for the schools to pay $6 million for the 28.36-acre parcel of land.
The seller received the land in receivership for $2.25 million in March 2024, while the Franklin County Auditor’s 2023 appraised value is $10.18 million. Finding this much land this close to Bexley, and at this price, was not something we could ignore.
Do the schools have the money to develop the Cassady Avenue land?
Developing the Cassady Avenue land for outdoor learning and sports venues will likely be included in a future funding request related to our Facilities Plan, which is expected to be considered by the board of education in the spring of 2025. Funding also could include private donations. As a last resort, if funding does not materialize to develop the Cassady Avenue land, then the school district would have the option to sell the land.
Safety & Due Diligence
Will there be improvements to this section of North Cassady Avenue?
The City of Columbus, in cooperation with the City of Bexley, has plans to reconstruct North Cassady Avenue from the railroad tracks north to Seventh Avenue. The property at 935 N. Cassady is within this improvement corridor. Planned improvements include adding a three-lane road section, major intersection improvements, and demolition of the apartments and abandoned gas station at North Cassady and Fifth Avenues. The City of Columbus’ plans also include adding a bikeway, sidewalks, landscaped tree lawns, and new street lighting. Future phases involve extending these improvements to Johnstown Road.
How will safety and security be handled for the new complex?
The safety of our students is the district’s top priority. As we move forward with potentially developing the Cassady Avenue land, we will continue to evaluate this issue, including by using the district’s own safety and security resources to assess the site’s safety needs. We also plan to confer with outside entities about recommended safety and security measures, including Columbus School for Girls, which has successfully operated an athletic sports complex for years further north on North Cassady Avenue. We also have held discussions with the City of Bexley about the potential of Bexley Police support for the complex.
How will you be sure the land is environmentally safe for our students and community?
During a due diligence period provided for in the purchase contract, the District has hired experts to do this work, including conducting site inspections and reviewing environmental reports and studies on the site in detail. Throughout this process, we are working with the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA) and civil engineers to ensure the land is safe for our use.
What information has the Ohio EPA shared with Bexley Schools?
The Ohio EPA’s Division of Air Pollution Control provided a summary to Bexley Schools of the emissions of the Calgon Carbon Corporation that sits next to the proposed complex land. According to the OEPA, Calgon Carbon’s “actual emissions have been significantly lower than the maximum permitted.” The OEPA summary lists the pollutants created by the facility, and includes a chart showing the emission limits permitted compared to the amount emitted by Calgon Carbon; the chart indicates that all of the emissions are well under the permitted levels. The OEPA summary also provides QR codes to access Calgon Carbon’s reports and air permits.
> Ohio EPA Calgon Carbon Summary for Bexley Schools document
What if you determine the site isn’t right for Bexley Schools?
The agreement allows the district to negate the agreement for any reason before the due diligence period ends.