HUDSON, WI. -- Finally, something may come of the white elephant in Hudson, Wisconsin. On Monday night the Hudson School Board voted unanimously to purchase the old St. Croix Meadows Greyhound Racing Park and use the property for a new school if, and only if, the voters approve on a referendum next year.
The board decided to enter into a five thousand dollar purchase agreement for 126 acre property with its owner, Croixland Properties based in Miami.
All that agreement does is take the old dog track property off the market until April and holds it for the district until voters get the chance to weigh in on a referendum to buy it on either the February or April ballot.
The purchase agreement says the district will pay eight and a quarter million dollars for the land and everything on it if voters approve.
It's too early to say if any of the existing structures on the property would remain if the district winds up buying it, a site viability report will come next week.
The district laid out its case for why it needs this property to build a new school at the Monday meeting saying its class sizes are growing, its middle school is over capacity and it's high school is slated to be as well in a couple of years.
In 1991 when the dog track was built it was done so at a cost of more than 40 million dollars. It closed 10 years later after many years of losing money.
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