Escrow on the 1.79-acre site on Civic Drive between BurnsideRoad and Division Street is due to close by month's end with a$700,000 price tag. The proposed 58,000 sf, three-story,steel-and-concrete structure is estimated to cost $8.5 million tobuild plus $3 million in soft costs such as architects and buildingpermits. Completion of construction is scheduled for January 2003with the first full slate of classes starting in Fall 2003.

"It's been wonderful because everyone has been committed to theidea," says Michelle Moore, chief financial officer for theGresham-Barlow School District within which the new center will belocated. "Purchasing the property and coming to an agreement on asite made it more difficult to find a central location everyonefelt comfortable with."

When completed, the charter school facility will house 500junior and senior high school students from all three schooldistricts--Gresham-Barlow, Reynolds and Centennial. Courses will beavailable for community college students as well as offeringtraining space for local businesses. The Community Televisionstation will have a permanent home at the site, utilizing aboutone-third of the space for offices, studios, and equipment.