Timber! College Station ISD buying conference center

COLLEGE STATION – The College Station City Council has decided to sell the conference center property off George Bush Dr. to College Station Independent School District, which will use the land to turn it into the new and larger Center for Alternative Learning.

The building was purchased for $788,430, which has about $184,000 knocked off the appraised value to account for the anticipated demolition costs.

The new space will primarily be used for expanding Timber Academy High School, the alternative choice program. The Center for Alternative Learning includes Timber Academy, the Venture Center and LEAP, the elementary disciplinary education program.

Between 120 and 150 students graduate from the Center for Alternative Learning every year, but that number could be higher if there was more space.

The conference center was used for meetings, conferences and receptions but was closed in July 2012 for safety reasons. An architect’s report found the building in disrepair and needing significant alterations and suggested the city look into selling the property.