The Winston-Salem/Forsyth County (N.C.) district has acquired a former furniture factory and plans to build an elementary school on the site.
The Winston-Salem Journal reports that the district paid $2.25 million for a 10.5-acre site that formerly housed a Thomasville Furniture manufacturing plant
The district intends to build a campus to replace Brunson Elementary. The existing Brunson campus, built in 1960s, sits in a flood plain.
Building a new Brunson Elementary is projected to cost $34.6 million. The site will have to undergo environmental remediation to remove contaminated soil
Finding a spot for a new Brunson has been difficult; few feasible sites were available.
Board member Malishai Woodbury raised concerns about building on property where toxins have been found in the soil.
Several abandoned properties have been redeveloped under the federal brownfields program, but few public schools are in the program, Woodbury says
The project is expected to be complete in 2024.
