Mark Webber | The Republic Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. has purchased a former engineering building as its new transportation center.
HOPE – A building that had housed a former engineering facility in the Hope Industrial Park is now the transportation building for the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. (FRHC).
The sale of the 9,840 square-foot-building and grounds at 220 Raymond St. to the Flat Rock-Hawcreek Multi-School Building Corp. took place on Dec. 19, according to online property records. Superintendent Shawn Price said the need for a school bus storage and maintenance facility has been under study for the past two years, with construction of an on-campus facility considered at one time.
The sale price of the former Indiana Custom Engineering, Inc. facility, built in 2000, was $805,000, property records show. The building and grounds were owned by McKinley Enterprises, LLC.
Prior to the sale, the school district only had a one-bay shop for maintenance and repairs. However, Price says the newly-acquired building on the southeast corner of Hope has three interior bays for repairs and upkeep, as well as a fourth that will be converted into a wash bay.
For several years, FRHC school buses were stored on the south side of Hauser Jr.-Sr. High School. The on-campus location made the buses vulnerable to vandals , as well as jammed up the school’s parking lot, Price said.
But the new facility has 7,200 square-feet of asphalt pavement surrounded by high fencing that was installed in 2001. The fence, as well as the remote location, is expected to make the fleet of buses more secure, the superintendent said.
The Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Board voted unanimously to initially allocate $50,000 to renovate the building. Between $15,000 to $20,000 will be spent on electrical upgrades, while the remainder will be used for a variety of purposes, according to the superintendent.
They include new exterior guttering, and new flooring, cabinets and paint for the kitchen area, Price said. The former kitchen will be used as a break room for the corporation’s nine bus drivers, he said.
Plans also call for partitioning off an area to provide an office for FRHC Fleet Manager Michelle Cord, the superintendent said. In addition, he said bathroom upgrades and new gate for the fence will also be installed.
Quite a lot of work has already been done since the school corporation took possession of the building late last month. For example, crews have already removed most of the equipment owned by Indiana Custom Engineering, leaving the shop area nearly gutted, according to Price.
In addition, an extensive amount of effort has already been put into cleaning the floors, as well as removing a loading dock, he said.
There is an effort to keep renovation costs, including electrical work, at $50,000 or less. For that reason, the front half of the building will remain empty until administrators determine the best use of the space, Price said.
In a related topic, three new school buses ordered by FRHC were supposed to be delivered by Christmas or in January. But Price said it appears the manufacturer over-promised what his company could provide.
The latest update states the new buses are not expected until around March.
