Sparta Offers To Sell Property To White County

The City of Sparta has offered to sell some property to White County for the new Findlay Elementary School.

Mayor Jeff Young said aldermen approved on Thursday a formal written proposal with a $350,000 asking price.

“They’ve (county) had this same information for probably a year now,” Young said. “But this just puts it in writing and gives them a formal opportunity to look at in on paper and decide whether to do it or not. We (the city) feel like it’s probably a million dollar deal when you consider all the different components, and we’re offering them $350,000. They’ll have an opportunity to act on it and acquire those properties or they’ll decline them.”

If purchased, the county would own Sidney Lane and the city baseball field property. Young said Sidney Lane sits between the new Findlay Elementary School and the old school.

“That will make it one campus instead of two,” Young said. “There’s also a condition in there that requires them to construct 22 new parking stalls. It also has a sewer component, which allows a new customer to be added to the Airport Industrial Park.”

The school system will utilize the old Findlay Elementary as its new central office, while the current administrative office will be retained by the City of Sparta. Officials previously stated that the new Findlay school would open the beginning of January.