The Vandalia School District is looking to buy the former Kanata Blanket property to–among other things–expand the services of the OKAW Vocational Center.
During Monday’s Vandalia City Council meeting, the council was asked to act on a request to send a zoning amendment request to the Planning Commission for the property at 1500 Veteran’s Avenue. In a letter to the City Council, Vandalia Superintendent of Schools Dr. Jennifer Garrison says the Vandalia School District has signed a letter of intent to purchase the former Kanata Blanket property and says they are very close to getting a formal purchase agreement signed and executed within the next week or so. The School District plans to expand some of the OKAW programs to the property. But, would need an ordinance change before that could happen.
Vandalia School Board member Reid Torbeck was on hand for the Vandalia City Council meeting. Torbeck was asked about the earlier plans to build a new OKAW Area Career Center at the west interchange. Torbeck says this is a more attainable goal for the School District and they have the money at this time to move ahead with the purchase of the property. Back in April of 2024, the City of Vandalia announced they would donate 10 acres of land from the city’s west interchange for the new OKAW center–but it would appear that would not be needed at this time.
The City Council voted 5 to 1, with Alderman Ken Hubler voting no, to forward the matter on to the Planning Commission. The matter would then come back to the Vandalia City Council.
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