Since 2003 IGA has leased a former textile manufacturing building in Ümraniye, Istanbul, which was refurbished to function as the K-12 school. The lease ran until 2015 but was extended up to 2020 and then again. The existing building could scarcely accommodate the growing student population (hitting highs of more than 280 students in 2015-16) and property prices in the mega-city of Istanbul continued to skyrocket. Realizing these factors and understanding the critical role that IGA plays for expats in this community, in 2016 the IGA Board with the help of the Development Committee launched a sustained strategic effort to purchase property and build a school.