Roosevelt, Former Middle School Discussed in Ames City/School Meeting Monday

The fate of Roosevelt Elementary School and a possible park on the site were among items discussed in a joint meeting of the Ames City Council and the Ames Community School Board 7 p.m. Monday at the Ames High School.

The district and council expected to discuss the district's master facilities plan and Ames City Councilman Matthew Goodman said the future of the shuttered Roosevelt School and its adjoining property would also be discussed.

Roosevelt Elementary School is one of a handful of land parcels that Ames Community School District considered selling.

The board has a recommendation to demolish Roosevelt and use half an acre of the property for a park and sell the rest, but the board hasn't acted on that recommendation.

At previous meetings Roosevelt neighborhood residents stressed the importance of the school's playground as a meeting place.

Kris Jensen has said the Roosevelt site is the center of the neighborhood.

“This is how we connect in the summer. This is how we network with other parents … People come all the way from west Ames and Nevada to play at that park. Do what you want with property but leave something that will still bring people together there because it will affect the quality of the town,” she said.

Board members have said that if they put Roosevelt up for sale that they expect the city to make a small bid for the adjoining land and turn the area into a park.

The board has already accepted a high bid for the Somerset property on George Washington Carver Avenue and for the former middle school property on State Avenue.

Heartland Development LLC turned in the highest bid, $425,000, for an 11-acre parcel of Ames School District, route: {:controller=>"listings", :action=>"show", :id=>"ames-community-school-district-2"} --> property along GW Carver Avenue in the