By By Kerry Whipple Bean – publisher
Brewton City School Board members met behind closed doors Monday to discuss possible locations for a new middle school but made no decisions about where to build.
Superintendent Lynn Smith said the board will likely wait until the city has approved plans for a new Wal-Mart Supercenter before deciding on a location for the middle school.
Earlier this month, Wal-Mart announced plans to build a Supercenter on U.S. Highway 31 North, on a parcel of land known as the old strawberry patch.
Wal-Mart's plans are on the agenda for the Brewton Planning Commission's meeting at 4 p.m. Monday. The commission also must consider whether to rezone the property from rural residential to general business.
Smith has said the school system would like to build the middle school on U.S. 31 - as the high school and elementary school are - but is looking at all options.
He declined to say which sites the board is considering.
In a capital expenditure plan passed last year, the school board set aside $11 million for construction of a new middle school.
The current middle school is located on Liles Boulevard, off Sowell Road.
Wal-Mart announced last week that it hopes to break ground on the new Supercenter this summer, with a projected opening date in summer 2008.
At 184,000 square feet, the new Supercenter will be more than twice as large as the current Wal-Mart on Douglas Avenue and expand its merchandise to include a full range of groceries, meats and produce.
Wal-Mart officials said the store will also likely have leased space for businesses such as a bank, salon or fast food restaurant.