Group seeks halt to demolition of school

By ED RUNYAN

runyan@vindy.com

WARREN

The asbestos abatement for the former Warren Western Reserve High School has begun, but a committee has filed a request with Trumbull County Common Pleas Court asking for an injunction to stop demolition of the building.

The Northeast Ohio Multicultural Arts Committee represents about 100 people who want to see the facility used as a place for cultural activities, said Annette McCoy of Warren, who was among the three people whose name was on the filing.

McCoy said the group would like to preserve the building’s auditorium, gym and cafeteria. One use for the facility would be a chef school, she said, adding that the group would rely mostly on government money to run it.

The one-page filing, dated July 9, says the Warren Board of Education failed to comply with Ohio law by failing to properly notify the public about the demolition. McCoy said she was unable to be more specific as to what the board failed to do.

She said, however, that the group wants one thing from the board — a meeting to discuss whether the building can be saved.

The group attempted to talk to the board previously but was denied the opportunity, McCoy said.

Kathryn Hellweg, Warren school superintendent, said she and a board member had a discussion with members of the committee, but that conversation took place after the board already had awarded a contract to demolish the building.

At that point and now, it is too late to discuss alternatives to demolition, Hellweg said, because asbestos abatement, which started about three weeks ago, involves a certain amount of demolition as well.

The injunction request has been assigned to Judge Peter Kontos. His office said the judge had not acted on the injunction request as of Thursday because he had not seen it yet.

On Thursday, dozens of workers were busy inside the structure, which has boards on most of the windows and doors. A supervisor said the actual demolition of Reserve will likely begin in early August.

Workers are completing demolitions of several other Warren school buildings at the same time, the supervisor said.

The committee will meet at 6 p.m. July 22 at the Warren YWCA, 375 North Park Avenue.