Warren board looks to preserve facade

Once the structure is gone, it’s gone forever, a resident warned.

By TIM YOVICH

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

WARREN — The board of education voted unanimously Tuesday night to ask its architects for a plan to demolish Warren G. Harding High School, except for its historic facade.

At the same time, the board agreed to assemble a committee to look at options to retain other parts of the structure.

The board’s decision came after a nearly two-hour executive session.

The board has conducted a number of meetings in an attempt to determine what to do with the facade.

Most people who have addressed the board have said they want the facade preserved along with the auditorium.

The high school, which was built in 1924 and added to in the mid-1950s, will be vacated at the end of the 2007-08 school year. Students will move to the new high school, adjacent the present structure, for the 2008-09 school year.

The motion to seek the architect’s design and specifications and to form the committee was made by board President Robert Faulkner.

Shari Harrell, board vice president, said it will take about a week to form the committee to look at alternatives besides retaining the facade.

Another board member, Edward Bolino, cautioned those in attendance that the district has only $1 million to spend on the preservation effort.

He pointed out that the auditorium has been used eight times for school events and rented out four times during the past year.

“It’s not an easy decision for all of us,” Bolino said.

Board member Patricia Limperos said the $1 million bond issue was originally designed to pay for facade preservation and this information led to the belief that other parts of the building would also be saved.

When voters approved a multimillion dollar bond issue to pay the local share of replacing its school buildings, including the high school, they also approved a $1 million issue for the historic preservation of the old Harding building.

The options facing the board have been to maintain only the facade, preserve the facade and the auditorium, use portions of the facade on the new campus, or not preserve anything.

During Tuesday’s meeting, a number of people spoke, most of them wanting the board to delay any action until all the options can be further investigated.

Larry Dueber of Warren told the board that there has been a communications lapse between the board and the public.

He called on the board to meet behind closed doors and come up with a plan with its architects and members of the community who favor retaining the building.

“It’s the right thing to do,” Dueber said.

Mary Busko of Warren asked the board to delay any action to demolish the high school. She said that the structure is a point of pride in the community and the auditorium could be used for community events.

“Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever,” Busko said.

Her sister, Barbara Busko, also asked for a delay, asserting that the board doesn’t have all the information it needs to make such an important decision.

Another speaker, Dr. Andrew Kostraba, asked the board to do everything in its power to save the old Harding building.

“Once that building falls, there is no going back,” Kostraba said.

He asked the board to “not to sell out the city” by demolishing the building.

One of the options, that would cost over $6 million, is to demolish the wings of the high school and retain the facade and auditorium.

yovich@vindy.com