BY BERNIE MIXON
The Cincinnati Enquirer
FOREST PARK
-- The Winton Woods Board of Education has agreed to lease an athletic building that will be constructed by the Winton Woods Athletic Boosters.
The building, to be near Winton Woods High School, will be approximately 11,100 square feet and will include three classrooms as well as weight and locker rooms.
At a special meeting Wednesday night, the board voted to send a letter of intent to the organization agreeing to lease the building for 10 years at $30,000 a year. The letter is expected to be signed by the board Dec. 15.
"We have been given, over the years, weightlifting equipment for the men's and women's athletic programs, and don't have a place to put it," said board President John Pennycuff. "The old shower and locker facilities are inadequate."
The boosters have been trying to get an athletic building for three years.
"The need is very critical due to the fact that we don't have weight rooms," said Sharon Hofmann, chairman of the boosters' committee for the athletic facility. "We just felt this would be a need for a long time."
A dedicated weight room has become a safety issue as
well. "It (the equipment) is in cubbyholes in the gym," said Mr. Pennycuff. "That's not really as safe as it needs to be."
As part of the agreement, the boosters would lease the land where the building will be constructed for $1 a year. When the debt on the building is paid or at the end of the lease, the board will take ownership of the building.
Although the cost for construction is still being calculated, Mrs. Hofmann estimated the building would be worth $400,000 to $500,000.
The boosters thought it could be built for less. The boosters expect the supplies, materials and time to be donated for the project.
Ultimately the board will have final design approval. A construction manager or management firm must be hired to oversee the quality, timeliness of construction and provide on-site supervision. The project is to be completed by August 1999.
