Schools

CSUS Purchases Davis Dr. Land, Plans to Build New Middle School in Belmont

Crystal Springs Uplands School finalized the sale Tuesday on the property located at 6, 8 and 10 Davis Drive in Belmont.

Crystal Springs Uplands School's hopes for building a new middle school campus in Belmont have been resurrected. 

Officials at Crystal Springs Uplands School  (CSUS) in Hillsborough announced Tuesday that they have purchased the 6.5-acre property located on Davis Drive in Belmont and plan to construct a new middle school on the land currently occupied by buildings known as 6, 8 and 10 Davis Drive.

CSUS board member Jill Grossman, told Patch Tuesday that the school moved quickly on the purchase. The school paid $11 million for the property.

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“There was an opportunity to put our best foot forward, so we closed on the sale this morning,” said Grossman.

“CSUS has always felt that the Davis Drive site was the right place for the school, and we look forward to working with the City of Belmont,” added Grossman.

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In a letter to CSUS supporters, head of school Amy Richards and board of trustees president Terry Stayner said that the school purchased the property at 6, 8 ad 10 Davis Drive current property owners, Cengage Learning. The Stamford, CT- based publishing company declared bankruptcy earlier this year.

Carlos de Melo, director of Community Development for the City of Belmont told Patch Tuesday that the city has verbally confirmed the school’s acquisition of the property.

“There is still much discussion to come, but CSUS has called the city to say that they have purchased the property on Davis Drive. ” said de Melo.  

This latest development comes just 13 months after private middle school was turned away by the City of Belmont. In a 3-2 vote, Belmont City Council denied the application of Crystal Springs Uplands School (CSUS) to build a middle school campus on Davis Drive last Oct. 23.

But since that time, Amy Richards, says the school’s administration and board received encouragement from many of the project’s proponents and urged them to give it another shot.

“In the aftermath of the City Council’s decision, we were moved by the enormous outpouring of support from city officials and residents asking us to come back and try again.

That, and the fact that Cengage needed to sell the property quickly in the face of bankruptcy, solidified the latest development.

In a 2012 description of the project, school officials said the proposed campus will replace 84,000 square feet of unused office and warehouse space with four main buildings (59,000 sq. ft.) and all-weather, regulation athletic field. The campus will be home to up to 240 students and about 35 faculty members.

Grossman says the architectural plans originally drawn up for the school campus will remain the same and that there will be few changes to the original design.

“This is a beautiful use of the land, and CSUS looks forward to being in Belmont,” said Grossman. 


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