The Eden Prairie (Minnesota) district has bought an office building for $9.2 million and will use it as the new home of a program for post-high school students with special learning needs.
Eden Prairie Local News reports that the district acquired the 45-year-old, 165,000-square-foot office building, formerly owned by United Natural Foods. The school board last month issued $13.365 million worth of bonds to pay for the building and the renovations needed.
The district will use the facility for the TASSEL Education Center--TASSEL stands for Teaching All Students Skills for Employment & Life. It’s a post-high school choice program for students ages 18 to 22 who have special learning needs.
The TASSEL program was until recently housed in space leased from the city. The city has plans to turn that space into expanded quarters for its police department.
Eden Prairie Schools Superintendent Josh Swanson said TASSEL would temporarily use the first floor of the newly acquired office building, starting next school year, until its second floor can be renovated for permanent use.
Plans are also being made to use the building for an alternative learning center. Additional uses for the building are possible.
