West Elementary School to be razed, and Hillman next

By Harold Gwin

Hillman School will be the next building on the district’s demolition list.

YOUNGSTOWN — The city school board is moving forward with plans to demolish West Elementary School on North Hazelwood Avenue.

The board voted this week to seek bids on the razing, estimated to cost about $400,000.

But that’s only part of the price tag to remove the building.

The entire cost could exceed $3 million, said Steve Ludwinski, senior project manager for Heery International Inc., the school district’s construction project manager on Youngstown’s $187 million school rebuilding program.

Ludwinski said there is a substantial amount of asbestos in the 81-year-old building, which greatly increases the total demolition cost.

Asbestos removal will be handled under a separate contract, and bids on that work are due next week.

That cost had been estimated at $2.2 million, but Ludwinski said later surveys of the interior of the structure indicate there may be less asbestos to deal with than originally anticipated.

School officials said the actual cost could be $1 million less than the estimate.

West now houses students who will be attending the new Volney Rogers Middle School that will open this fall.

The rebuilding program master plan at one time also called for the razing of the Mary Haddow and Sheridan buildings as well, but the district has determined it wants to keep them.

School officials said Haddow, on Oak Street, is still in good shape, and Sheridan, on Hudson Avenue, is partially leased to the Mahoning Valley High School, a new school for students facing expulsion and/or incarceration for misbehavior in their home districts.

The Ohio School Facilities Commission, which is picking up 80 percent of the rebuilding program costs, has agreed to let the district transfer the money set aside for the Haddow and Sheridan demolitions to another building, Ludwinski said.

At this point, there’s about $300,000 available in the demolition fund, and he suggested the board consider tearing down the Hillman School on West Myrtle Avenue.

That project has a cost estimate of $350,000.

The board accepted that suggestion and indicated bids for Hillman’s razing will be sought later this summer.

Ludwinski said that, if the West asbestos bids come in under budget as expected, the OSFC may be willing to allow the district to use any leftover funds for another building. He suggested the board consider tearing down the old John White building on Lyden Avenue. White is only used for storage now.

Tony DeNiro, assistant superintendent for school business affairs, said the district also has been talking to the city about assistance in tearing down some old buildings, and the city may be able to help with federal stimulus assistance funds.

gwin@vindy.com