Iowa City school district awards construction contract for new elementary school

UPDATED  6 p.m. with appraisal information

IOWA CITY – The Iowa City school board Tuesday night accepted a $10.6 million bid for the construction of the district's newest elementary school.

The board voted 6-0 to award the contract to City Construction Group. The Iowa City company's bid was the lowest of six received for the project.

Construction on Norman Borlaug Elementary, which replaces Roosevelt Elementary, is to start this spring off Camp Cardinal Boulevard, just inside Coralville city limits. The school is to open in summer 2012.

Also Tuesday, Superintendent Stephen Murley said the Roosevelt Elementary property was recently appraised at $770,000, which he said he and a real estate agent found to be “significantly low.” It wasn't clear why the appraisal came is so much lower than expected.

The school board has not decided whether to sell the property, at 611 Greenwood Dr. in Iowa City, but that is one option being considered.

Also under consideration is the district retaining the property for an undetermined purpose. The city of Iowa City has said it is not interested in acquiring the site at this time, Murley said.

Murley said he'd like to have a recommendation to the board on what to do with the property “well before” it closes at the end of next school year.