A recent partnership between Greeley-Evan's School District 6 and the City of Greeley brings the community an array of benefits, including additional educational opportunities, improved recreational facilities, updated water infrastructure, and conservation. You may wonder what type of innovation would align all of these seemingly unrelated things together. It is, in fact, a land swap.
In January, the Greeley City Council agreed with the school district to trade 25-acre tracts of land at the Boomerang Links Golf Course at 71st Avenue and 10th Street. The District 6 School Board approved the agreement in December.
- Educational Opportunities: Construction is now underway at the future site of the Tointon Academy of Pre-Engineering. The academy is set to open in the spring of 2022. Pre-engineering is the focus of the new school for preschool through eighth grade. The school is named after Bob and Betty Tointon, who have been strong supporters of public education and District 6. Classes and curriculum will include the basic principles of engineering, and students will have the opportunity to explore careers in engineering-related fields. In addition, District 6 is hoping to join forces with a Colorado university to provide support for the engineering focus. You can view drone footage of the construction site here and a fly-through video of the school here.
- Improved Recreation: The Boomerang Golf Course Back 9 Redesign project will move golf corridors away from proposed developments and major roadways, reducing ongoing noise and safety concerns. Construction has begun, and Boomerang will remain open during construction. The newly designed holes open in 2022, and the golf course will offer better or equal play.
- Improved Infrastructure and Water Conservation: The irrigation system will also be upgraded to enhance lawn watering efficiency at the golf course. The City will also rebuild its non-potable (untreated) water storage pump and pond. The work on the site provides an opportunity to develop a regional non-potable irrigation system to provide raw irrigation water to both the golf course, school, and future planned sites in west Greeley.
This project is mutually beneficial to all parties involved and the community as a whole. Sean Chambers, Greeley’s director of Water and Sewer said, this project shows that “good governance can be attained through collaboration.”
