February 2005 — 3 proposed sites
n Elizabeth Court/Oestreicher Building in the 100 block of South Main Street in downtown Salisbury, the property belongs to Evening Post Publishing Co., which owns the Salisbury Post.
n A new building that could be constructed in the 400 block of South Main Street near Horah Street.
n A new facility that could be built at the school system’s transportation headquarters on Old Concord Road. The system owns 22 acres at the site.
April 2005 — Jones Building
The former home of Jones Marine Inc., the building is located on Bendix Drive, just off Interstate 85 near Lowe’s Home Improvement Warehouse.
May 2005 — Bendix Building
School officials discuss purchasing the 95,000-square-foot building, but the plan fails when county commissioners refuse to back the project because it was on state and federal inactive hazardous waste sites. Under the proposal, the county would have bought the building and 7.5 acres of land for $2.75 million and spent another $1.25 million for renovations and furnishings, bringing the total price to $4 million.
January 2008 — South Main Street
City and school officials discuss building a consolidated school office and city conference center in the 300 block of South Main Street for $16.8 million.
March 2008 — Former Winn Dixie building
School officials consider a former supermarket on Jake Alexander Boulevard. At 43,000 square feet, it will need an additional level to meet the system’s needs of 55,000-65,000 square feet. That, and the purchase could add up to $5 million to $7 million.
January-February 2009
Five sites are on the table: Old Concord Road, Ellis Street and Statesville Boulevard as well as South Main Street and the former Winn Dixie. School officials favor downtown. County officials discuss splitting the cost with the school system, and the project gains momentum.
March 2009
Superintendent Dr. Judy Grissom withdraws the central office issue from the county agenda, citing the governor’s move to take lottery and school capital building funds.
January-March 2010 — Department of Social Services building
With the Department of Social Services moving into a new $6 million building, commissioners discuss offering the former DSS building at 1236 W. Innes St. to the schools. At 22,000 square feet, it’s big enough to replace much of the system’s Long Street offices, which are 29,000 square feet, but not big enough to consolidate other offices.
November 2010 — Cornerstone Church
After buying property near China Grove, Cornerstone Church offers its Webb Road property for sale.
July 2011 — South Main Street lease/purchase
Downtown Salisbury Inc. brings in developer Barwick & Associates of Charlotte with plans to build a 62,000-square-foot building for about $8 million in the 300 block of South Main. The school system could acquire it through lease-purchase.