Sale of old middle school to Theisen’s was a journey

   The Theisen’s bid to purchase Monticello’s old middle school property in order to build a large new store went through an on-again, off-again journey before being approved by the Monticello School Board at its June 26 meeting.

   A sale of the property to Theisen Real Estate, LLC seemed imminent when the board approved a resolution at its March 27 meeting to make the sale to the home, farm and auto store company.

   But at the board’s April 24 meeting, Superintendent Brian Jaeger announced that Theisen’s had asked the school board to hold off on final approval, and the board tabled the measure that night.

   “At that time,” Theisen’s president Chris Theisen told the board at the June 26 meeting, “we had not had all our asbestos and (demolition) numbers in, and our building costs just came in sky high.

   “This proposal has been modified from the one we rescinded.”

   Theisen’s has been a member of the Monticello community since 1971, Chris Theisen said.

   “For 52 years we have been growing in very small chunks; adding fencing and display space across the street, buying the building next door and rehabilitating it, then buying our storage building on Sycamore.

   “Now it is time to pull all six parcels together and expand in Monticello.”

   Plans call for the new store, between 35,000 and 40,000 square feet, to be up and running within three years. It will be, Theisen said, at least 2½ times larger than the existing location.

   He added that interest has been expressed in the six parcels Theisen’s will be selling.

   The Theisen’s bid was chosen by the board over that of BR Development – the same company that worked on what is now Hy-Vee Dollar Fresh. BR wanted to turn the older half of the 100-year-old building into an apartment complex with 20-24 units, and designate the space in back (east side) for retail.

   But the board felt more comfortable voting for the Theisen’s bid, and did so unanimously. The company will purchase the four-acre property for $100,000, and be responsible for asbestos removal and demolition of the old middle school.

In other board business:

   • The board approved the bid of Donaldson Torit of Bloomington, Minn. for a high school industrial tech area dust collection system, at a cost of $39,333.40.

   • At the recommendation of board member John Schlarmann, the board approved the bid of Bobcat of Dubuque, Farley, for a new skid steer loader, at a cost of $43,921.76.

   • The board approved the bid of Mark Bouska, Monticello, for the sale of a 2007 used Bluebird 65-passenger school bus, at a cost of $3,000.

   • The board approved the bid of Anderson, Larkin & Co, PC of Ottumwa to be the district’s auditor, at a cost of $14,000.

   • As part of the consent agenda, the board approved the list of elementary and PTO, middle school and high school fundraisers and field trips.

   • The board approved the 2023-24 staff handbooks.

   • As part of the consent agenda, the board approved two personnel items: the resignation of Melody Pasker as special education child specific associate at the middle school, and the appointment of Mark Bouska as substitute bus driver.