News File Photo Alpena Public Schools transportation facility at 1357 M-32 West is pictured here.

ALPENA — Alpena Public Schools officials has extended a deadline for the developer planning to build the district a new transportation facility in exchange for the property the district’s existing transportation facility is located at.

Grosse Pointe-based Vautgrand Holdings would like to construct an Aldi at the district’s transportation facility located at 1357 M-32 West.

The Alpena Public School Board of Education recently agreed to give the developer until March 22 to provide the final drawings and until March 31 to complete its Phase II environmental assessment of the property.

Superintendent Dave Rabbideau said the district has received design plans and is working with the developer on the details of those plans, but said they had to change the due date of the environmental information and response to April 15.

“These deadlines aren’t being extended because someone hasn’t done what they’re supposed to,” Rabbideau said. “It’s just the work is taking longer than anticipated.”

While Rabbideau originally said the delay was because the state was taking longer with the environmental work, he clarified today the environmental work was being completed by a private company.

A Phase II environmental site assessment tests for potentially contaminated areas.

A preliminary purchase agreement with the school district requires the developer to construct a new transportation facility for APS at their expense before the M-32 property would be transferred to them. The new transportation facility is to be constructed behind Alpena High School, near Wildcat Stadium.

The developer was also required to provide a $1 million performance bond so, if something were to happen, the district could finish the facility.

Once the facility is complete and property transferred, the property would go back on the tax roll.