Programming will move to the Kirkwood Regional Center – Linn County
The Marion Independent School District Board of Directors approved the purchase of the Kirkwood Marion Center at its meeting Monday night. Kirkwood Community College originally purchased the former Longfellow Elementary School building from the Marion School District in 1991.
Both sides say the $700,000 sale makes sense because of the changing needs for the college and the school district.
Kirkwood is moving all of its programming from the Marion Center to the recently purchased Paetec building, which will become the Kirkwood Regional Center – Linn County. Depending on design and construction, that facility is scheduled to partially open between August and December 2012, with final completion slated for August 2013.
“The building provides good accessibility with the single floor design and has sufficient land for expansion,” said Marion Superintendant Sarah Pinion. “Land included in the purchase provides additional possibilities for play and learning opportunities.”
Kirkwood President Mick Starcevich said now is the right time for the sale, and is good for students in the area.
“The Kirkwood Regional Center – Linn County is going to provide more opportunities for all of the students that would have otherwise attended the Marion Center,” said Starcevich. “The school district was a great partner to us when we purchased the building from them. Now we’re trying to be a good partner and help them as well.”
When purchased in 1991 from the Marion School District, Kirkwood changed the facility into the Kirkwood New Business Center. In 1994, it underwent major remodeling. In 1998, when the center could no longer support all of the small businesses that utilized the space, it moved the programming to the KTOS Center in Marion, and it became the Kirkwood Marion Center, providing its current day programming.