Mpls. schools discuss plans for new district HQ

The Minneapolis School District will hold two meetings this week to discuss plans for a new headquarters building.

The school board is considering three options. They include building a new building, renovating the district's current headquarters or buying and renovating the Valspar building near the Metrodome.

Each option costs about $27 million and would consolidate district functions from four buildings to one.

Operations Chief Steve Liss has recommended the 'new building' option.

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"There are less opportunities for surprises and we can get a building that we can really design to meet the school district needs, rather than repurposing a building," Liss said.

Liss said any of the plans would save millions on energy and other efficiencies, and the district won't divert classroom funding to pay for it.

"Whatever proposal the board eventually picks, we wanted to make sure that it would cost less than to maintain the status quo," he said. "Each of these three proposals would do that."

Public meetings will be held Tuesday and Thursday night.

Tuesday meeting

- School Board work session

- Tuesday, April 6, 2010 6:00 p.m.

- John B. Davis Educational Service Center, 807 Northeast Broadway, Minneapolis

Thursday meeting

- Informational meeting on district headquarters proposals

- April 8, 2010, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.

- St. Maron Catholic Church, Cedars Hall 602 University Ave. NE, Minneapolis