Rebuilding work to begin on fire-damaged career center

By HAROLD GWIN

VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER

CANFIELD — Students attending Mahoning County Career & Technical Center this fall will notice a lot of activity in what used to be the center’s northwest wing.

The rebuilding of that fire-gutted area is about to begin.

Roan Craig, superintendent, said demolition equipment to tear down the burned-out section began to arrive last week. There is some asbestos removal to be done before wholesale razing can begin, she said.

The school suffered a loss estimated at $14 million to $15 million in a May 2007 fire which forced its programs to consolidate into about 180,000 square feet of space from its original 220,000 square feet.

Authorities said the fire was deliberately ignited, and two students were later found guilty of obstructing official business in connection with the investigation. One of them was found innocent of an aggravated arson charge.

“We’re jammed in. We’re going to be jammed in this year,” Craig said.

It was hoped that demolition would begin with the close of school in June, but it wasn’t until July that the board was able to award the construction contract — which includes demolition — for the first phase of the rebuilding project.

“Everybody’s where we were last year,” Craig said, noting the school had 750 students last year and is anticipating the same number this fall.

The school also offers adult learning, and the fire didn’t hurt those numbers last year either, she said, noting that adult enrollment held steady at about 1,200.

“For the most part, we’ve adapted. Our people have worked with us. Our kids have not been a problem,” Craig said.

Although enrollment has held steady, the school won’t be able to introduce any new programs until the rebuilding is done, she said.

Phase one of the project involves replacing the 35,000 square feet of space lost in the fire. That will cost nearly $6.2 million in construction alone. That structure should reopen next spring before the end of the school year.

Phase two, which should go out to bid this school year, will add 35,000 square feet of new space.

The entire project will carry a price tag of between $14 million and $15 million, matching the claim for the fire loss, Craig said.

Everything should be done by fall 2010, she said.

Blaise Karlovic, school treasurer, said financing involves borrowing the full amount of the project cost up front at today’s low interest rates and investing the money to earn interest to help cover the costs.

The school will be facing an annual debt service of about $900,000 a year for 28 years, he said, noting that the annual budget carryover, the interest earned on investing the project funds before they are needed and some of the $9 million bankrolled for an expansion project before the fire occurred should cover that.

There are no plans to go to the taxpayers for any additional taxes to pay for the project, Craig said.

Karlovic said the school plans to borrow the money by late August or early September.