by Krystal Paco

Guam - The Department of Education must decide what to do with the CoreTech facility in Tiyan. DOE may have first dibs on the facility, but they'll need to decide what's next once the Wildcats make their anticipated homecoming to the renovated Untalan Middle School campus in 2014.

"Under the amended lease there's an option to purchase clause and that clause provides the government a deadline of December 31, 2013 to decide if they want to exercise this option to purchase Tiyan, said Vince Leon Guerrero. "The Governor's Office on behalf of the tenant DOE is dependent on the tenant telling us what their future plans for that is." According to Leon Guerrero, Governor Eddie Calvo's education advisor, it may be cheaper for GovGuam to purchase the Tiyan facility. "If you look at leasing it and we're locked into a lease and at the end of the lease how much we're going to spend and end up with nothing verses engaging in a purchase that becomes an asset that the Government of Guam owns that can be used for a variety of purposes as the law establishes gives us great flexibility," he said.

Prior to Untalan Middle School, John F. Kennedy High School used the facility while their Upper Tumon home underwent renovations. Senator Aline Yamashita said, "The opportunity for a real sound investment is there and if we're going to keep with tax breaks and if we're going to keep doing that and we helped Untalan and we helped JFK, but maybe we could've helped others."

Law allows the facility to be used for GovGuam offices, including DOE Central Offices.

As we've been reporting, the fate of the shared DOE and Department of Administration building is unknown as Governor Calvo plans to revitalize Hagatna as the island's capitol. Both agencies have expressed concerns for employee health and last year Guam Fire Department inspectors issued a notice of hazard for the building's poor conditions.

DOA director Benita Manglona confirms DOA offices will move to the ITC building in Tamuning for a lease of $479,000 a year. Their move could happen in as little as 60 days.

Meanwhile, DOE is requesting $416,000 from their FY2014 budget to renovate or relocate DOE'S Central Offices.