By Gary Cordell There have been a lot of changes in the project since the last update. One of the most obvious is that Highway 260 just east of the forest service entrance has been widened considerably. This is the first main project to take place since the pioneer road was opened in the spring. The pioneer road followed a cut pathway that weaved its way between the ponderosas to the location of the designed location of the academic building and the two student housing buildings. It was cut to allow for equipment to enter the site and do geological [ Read More ]
The university project continues to make progress, although most people cannot see it physically. There are many different paths of action that are running in parallel. The majority of them currently are activities that involve a lot of paperwork. Some of these include the widening of State Highway 260, permission to use the temporary entrance as a permanent construction entrance for equipment, the extension of the water lines, the burying of the APS power lines, the refining of the design of the buildings, the determination of the entrance having a signal, how big the water tank should be and where [ Read More ]
The winner of the “Design the Sign” Contest has been announced. Thanks to all those who participated, voted, and attended the award ceremony. The winning entry is the work of Donn C. Morris, a local artist who expressed a very specific, three dimensional vision around the execution of his entry. Congratulations, Donn! We had 10 very good entries and the RCEF and RCEA boards are appreciative of everyone’s effort. Thanks also to the Payson Roundup and Gerardo’s for their sponsorship.
The Payson Roundup and Gerardo’s Firewood Cafe are sponsoring a “Design the Sign” Contest for a sign that will be placed at the site of the new “University Campus in Payson.” All residents of Payson, Pine, Strawberry, and Star Valley are eligible to enter. The following entries have been received. The winner will be announced on July 2nd!
New Arrangement to Facilitate Campus Land Purchase Rim Country Educational Alliance (RCEA), the Separate Legal Entity board, passed a resolution today agreeing that the Board will pursue a productive and mutually beneficial relationship with Rim Country Educational Foundation (RCEF). The Foundation exists to provide all necessary support to bring a University Campus to Payson including money for pre-development costs for the campus; site plans; required studies; and capital expenses. The purpose of the arrangement is to enable both organizations to leverage their respective legal structures, resources, strengths, capabilities, and to move forward in bringing the University Campus to [ Read More ]
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 [ Read More ]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE US Forest Services Approves Appraisal for Proposed Campus Site Payson, Arizona, September 20, 2014- The US Forest Service (USFS) Tonto National Forest has approved the recent appraisal of 250 acres of US Forest Service property that lies south of AZ Highway 260 on the eastern side of Payson. The site remains the preferred location for the university campus in Payson. An independent appraiser retained by the USFS declared the value of the property to be $4.1 million. The appraiser followed a comprehensive Statement of Work developed by the Forest Service to establish his determination of the value. [ Read More ]
On Friday, August 15, a group of more than 80 supporters of the campus joined representatives from Arizona State University for a Presidential Engagement Program (PEP) at The Rim Club. The keynote speaker was ASU’s new Athletic Director, Ray Anderson. His address focused on ASU’s eight “Aspirational Design Principles,” along with the university’s mission to think and act globally, nationally and locally. Jean Boyd, Assistant Athletic Director, spoke with pride about the academic success of Sun Devil student athletes, who rank second in the Pac 12 in graduation rate. Both professed the enthusiasm and support of the Athletic Department for [ Read More ]
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Appraisal for Proposed Campus Site Completed Payson, Arizona, August 19, 2014- — The appraisal for the 250-acre US Forest Service (USFS) site south of AZ Highway 260 was completed as scheduled on August 18th, 2014. The appraisal now will be submitted to the USFS Tonto National Forest for review. The USFS site remains the preferred location for the university campus in Payson. Last summer, the USFS agreed to a direct sale process for the property. The appraisal is one of the final steps in the direct sales process. Once finalized, and the appraised price is accepted by the [ Read More ]
Webmaster’s Note: The text of this article is taken in whole from the Payson Roundup article entitled Site Shopping by Pete Aleshire, July 29, 2014. The Rim Country Educational Alliance has hired the Tetra Tech engineering firm to provide a detailed analysis of four possible university sites, including the preferred 253-acre Forest Service-owned parcel on which the Alliance will get an appraisal in the next few weeks. The preliminary work by the project architect revealed that only about 22 percent of the Forest Service site is flat enough to build on without substantial grading. This prompted the Alliance to enter [ Read More ]