City Officials Want Chance to Turn OE Into New Police Department

Oxford city officials are hoping for good news Tuesday when the Oxford School District Board of Trustees consider bids taken recently for the building that currently houses Oxford Elementary School.

The OSD plans to build a new elementary school next to the Oxford Intermediate School after the building that, what was once known as Oxford Central School, is demolished in January.
In February, the Board of Trustees voted to put the property out for bid. The bids were opened March 27. The district received bids from Cherie Matthews Real Estate for $1.8 million and the city of Oxford for $2,000,501, making the city the high bidder.
At 3 p.m. Tuesday during a special called meeting, the Board of Trustees will discuss the bids and are expected to vote on whether to accept them or reject them and re-bid.
Oxford Alderman John Morgan said he was excited to learn the city was the top bidder.
“I look forward to possibly putting a new police department there that will save the citizens of Oxford millions of dollars,” Morgan said Friday.
Mayor Robyn Tannehill said when she heard the property was going up for bid she thought it would be a great opportunity to save tax dollars by re-purposing the school for a new Oxford Police Department.
“We are desperately outgrowing the current police department,” Tannehill said. “We were looking at renovating the current OPD campus, which would cost $6 to $8 million, or building a new one which would cost more than $10 million. We were excited to bid on this space for a building larger than OPD is currently in and not have to raise taxes.”

By hottytoddy.com contributor Alyssa Schnugg