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Photo by Sam Yu
This photo shows the new Frederick County Public Schools headquarters building Aug. 13 under construction at the intersection of South East Street and East South Street in downtown Frederick. At the left are orange traffic barrels that block access to the South East Street extension to I-70, which is still under construction. |
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Anchoring one corner of the new gateway to Frederick will be the new 90,000 square-foot Frederick County Public Schools headquarters, now about 10 percent complete.When it opens next summer, the building at South and East streets will provide office space for about 260 school system employees. About 75,000 square feet will be finished. An additional 15,000 square feet -- some on each of the building's five floors -- will be unfinished expansion space, said Ray Barnes, the school system's executive director of facilities services. Construction of the new building is possible because of a unique financing agreement between the school system and SunTrust Bank. FCPS bought the land at East and South streets on Carroll Creek, and entered into a lease-leaseback agreement. The bank will construct the building and then lease it back to the school system, which will make semiannual lease payments for 25 years. At that time, ownership of the building will revert to the school system. Lease payments will be made from the system's operating budget. School officials have said that because operating budget funds were used for the headquarters project, it did not take capital budget funds away from school construction projects. The structural system of the building is being built, Barnes said, and three of five floors have decking installed. "We expect to have the structural framework and the skin done sometime this fall," Barnes said. "We hope to have it open for our staff by next summer." The new building will provide office space for all employees working at 115 E. Church St. and 7630 Hayward Road, Barnes said. Some employees who are working at the school system's warehouse on Thomas Johnson Drive will move as well. Maintenance and operations employees will remain at 7446 Hayward Road. Food service workers will remain at the Thomas Johnson Drive warehouse, Barnes said.
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