QPS moves forward with plan to buy K&L Arena for transportation consolidation

QUINCY (WGEM) - Quincy Public Schools are moving forward with plans to consolidate its transportation facilities in the same location after the school board voted to approve a contingency contract to buy K&L Arena Wednesday night.

Right now, transportation operations are split between the bus barn at 20th and Hampshire and Flinn Stadium.

The move gets rid of the need to shuttle buses between Flinn and the bus barn, and addresses noise concerns from bus barn neighbors.

The $2 million offer is just below the list price for the 55,000 square-foot building at the more than 5-acre site.

School board president Sayeed Ali said the acquisition is a great resource for QPS.

“We aren’t going to be able to get something for $40 a square foot in this market, and then have additional room left over for all the needs that we have. It’s a bang for your buck,” Ali said.

School board member Richard McNay said the sale should close on June 30, and renovations should be done a year from then.

While those renovations could cost between $800,000 and $1 million, McNay said the school district will still save money.

“We will have to make some conversions to make it into a bus barn. It’s gonna be cheaper, probably by about 50 percent to buy, and convert, this building than it would be to buy and convert Flinn Stadium,” McNay said.

He said the current bus barns would be re-allocated for other uses by Quincy Public Schools.