FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Acquisition Plan for Campus Site Finalized

Payson, Arizona, November 10, 2014- Payson Mayor Kenny Evans announced today that a plan has been finalized to acquire the 250-acre US Forest Service (USFS) property located south of Arizona Highway 260 that remains the intended site on which to build a university campus in Payson. An escrow account will be opened at a local title company before year-end. The sale is expected to close by early 2015.

“Members of this community, the SLE Board, and a host of professionals have worked long and hard to make the dream of a campus in the pines of Payson a reality,” commented Evans. “We are moving forward with renewed vigor to acquire the land, the next of our critical milestones in the project.”

The details of the new strategy will be revealed once three critical interim steps have been completed. These include obtaining an assurance from the US Forest Service that all final conditions have been satisfied; preparation of the purchase agreement; and transfer of the funds for both the archeological mitigation and the land purchase.

The site was recently appraised for $4.1 million dollars, concluding the most recent milestone in the direct sale process authorized by the USFS in 2013. “We’ve persevered through many delays. The community is ready to see a sign in the ground that says “Future Site of A University Campus in Payson. Our goal is for that sign to be in place in January.”

“I want to thank the entire SLE Board for their work in getting the campus project to this point,” continued Evans. “They oversaw the entire appraisal process and other complex projects with the USFS. They’ve done a yeoman’s job, and done it all with virtually no budget. As Chairman, Steve Drury delivered a herculean effort in the face of multiple challenges, and overcame every obstacle that confronted him.”

“Once we have the land, the timeline will be within our control,” concluded the mayor. “We are in a better position to drive the project plan, finalize the education partner, and fulfill the vision of a university campus of Payson.”

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Contact for more information about this press release:
Laura Ann Bartlett-Armstrong
Marketing and PR Committee Lead
Payson University Campus Volunteer Committee
415-203-3535
lxb59@yahoo.com
www.universityinpayson.com