REDMOND, OR -- After spending the last 2 years working to annex a property north of Redmond into the city, Central Christian School has scrapped plans to build - for now.  Development Director Amy Fisher says things changed when administrators discovered the property would not be ready for construction soon enough.  Instead, the school is set to purchase a building near the current campus on Airport Way.  "We need to move our school from our current location before 2017. Preferably, we'd like to move now!" Fisher said. "The exciting part about the building over there is that it's 20,000 square feet and we can move into that building after a little bit of remodeling, and be able to grow our school up to about 100 more students."

 

She adds, part of the need to expand is due to the need for gym space. Currently, CCS has an agreement with the Redmond Proficiency Academy to use the Hugh Hartman facility.  But with RPA's anticipated move in 2015, CCS administrators found themselves pushing up their timeline.  Fisher says the newly purchased property on Airport Way includes a vacant adjacent lot.  She tells KBND, "With that adjacent lot, we're going to build a gymnasium and a playground for our older students. And, there is a possibility of a soccer field in the area, as well. 

 

For now, the school will hold on to the North Redmond property, keeping options open for future school leaders.  Fisher said the school will have that loan paid off by the end of the week, "So, we own that free and clear.  We were blessed with donations over the summer of $1.2M towards the purchase price of the land and the structure on Airport Way, so we only needed to get a loan of $800,000.  So, actually, our mortgage payment is less than what we pay on lease in the existing building we're in right now."  

 

Central Christian is holding a fundraising event October 25th to help fund the remodel of the newly purchased building.  Administrators hope to move into the new facility by Spring 2015.