SHARON — Molly Bundrant bought her home on Case Avenue so she can watch her young daughter walk to school, Mrs. Bundrant told school board members Wednesday night after a presentation about the possible fate of the aging Case Avenue Elementary building.
“Don’t take that away from me,” Mrs. Bundrant said.
Cassandra Renninger of Eckles Architects, New Castle, presented details about two options for the project that the board is still considering — tearing down the current school and rebuilding at the same site or buying the former Hadley Elementary on Boyd Drive and adding on.
Ms. Renninger presented pros and cons for each option, price ranges and time frames for construction.
Renovating the Hadley building and adding about 65,000 square feet of space would take 20 months and cost $19.3 million to $20.8 million.
Building in two phases at Case, mostly in what is now a parking lot, would take 32 months and cost $22.3 million to $24.2 million. Plans for this site would have to be pared down for financial reasons, Superintendent John Sarandrea said.
The district can borrow up to $22 million, has a little over $1 million in savings and has been told there’s about $600,000 in federal stimulus money available for the project, Sarandrea said.
“We’re looking to pay for the building project with 10 mills of taxes over time,” Sarandrea said.
Taxes for 2009-2010 were raised 2 mills specifically for the project.
Both options include the $700,000 cost of tearing down the Case building and constructing a gymnasium sized for high school use. Renninger said that they looked at incorporating the current Case gym into a new structure, but there are structural concerns and construction around it might make it more unstable.
Disadvantages to rebuilding at the Case site is the congestion during construction and that it would take longer. The downside for relocating the school to Hadley is that it’s farther for students on the south and west sides of the district to walk to and it’s on the Hermitage line.
Architects expect to take bids in fall 2010 on either project.
Though it may be more costly and inconvenient, “I think most people prefer Case,” Sam Messina said.
Mary Carol Cunningham agreed.
“It just makes sense,” she said. “You’re right here. Why would you send kids so far away?”
“I would really like the Hadley option if it were not so illogical,” Ed Palanski said.
Mrs. Bundrant said that the $4 million difference in the two options seems “like a drop in the bucket at this point” and noted that people are willing to deal with the short-term inconvenience if it means the school will remain in the same place.
Matt Grove asked what happened to the possibility of a modest renovation of the current building for about $10 million, something mentioned in an independent study of the building done by RCI Architects, New Castle.
Sarandrea said that renovating was ruled out because of the risk of what further problems with infrastructure might be uncovered once construction was underway.
If the district moves the school east, Sarandrea said the board might have to discuss busing, though they’re under no legal obligation to do so unless the service already exists for some students. There are currently students who live on the West Hill who walk more than 1.25 miles to the high school.
No timeline for a decision was given at the meeting, but Sarandrea said they’re moving forward quickly.
“I think it borders on negligence, not coming up with a plan very, very soon,” Sarandrea said.
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UPDATE: Hadley option costs less than Case, architect says
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Shenango Twp. man was hurt in Sunday crash
The driver of the car involved in a crash Sunday evening on Lamor Road at Mount Washington Cemetery in Jefferson Township, is in the intensive care unit of St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, with serious injuries, Jefferson Township police Chief Jeff Lockard said.
Thomas Zajac III, 23, Mitchell Road, Shenango Township, was westbound on Lamor Road when he lost control of the sports car he was driving and it hit a tree in the cemetery.
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Chase suspect returned to city to face charges
An Ohio man that Hermitage police allege led several departments on a July 22 chase throughout the Shenango Valley has been returned to Pennsylvania.
John W. Bishop, 48, of Struthers, was taken to Mercer County Jail and will face a preliminary hearing at 2:45 p.m. Tuesday before District Judge Ronald E. Antos, Farrell.
Bishop was charged with 21 counts including reckless endangerment, retail theft and a host of traffic violations.
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Police: Shooter jailed
An argument escalated to a shooting Tuesday morning in Sandy Creek Township, leaving a Sandy Lake area man with life-threatening injuries.
Cody Brandon Noel, 24, was flown to a UPMC hospital in Pittsburgh, state police said. It was unclear Tuesday night which hospital or his condition, but police called his injuries “life-threatening.”
Police said Noel was shot by a neighbor, Michael Allen Kellner, 48, at about 9:30 a.m. near Hastee’s, a gas station and convenience store along U.S. Route 19. Kellner was in Mercer County Jail Tuesday night after failing to post $100,000 bond on an aggravated assault charge, police said.
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Woman dies of injuries in last week’s crash
A Greenville woman hurt in Thursday’s two-vehicle crash in Pymatuning Township has died from her injuries.
Lois E. Orr, 93, of 117 East Ave., died at 6:26 p.m. Saturday in St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, according to incomplete obituary information. -
Faith doused fire; forge is new creation
Firefighters were battling one of the biggest blazes ever in Grove City when Will Knecht arrived in time to see his family owned, 87-year-old business crumbling and tumbling to the ground.
Knecht, the company’s president, formed a circle with his teary-eyed employees at Wendell August Forge and prayed as plumes of smoke visible for miles drew hundreds of onlookers.
“It was like it was a spectator sport almost, but with people in tears, people moved by it,” Knecht said. “We had employees saying, ‘Will, what are we gonna do, what are we gonna do?’ I prayed from the bottom of my heart, ‘Lord, you know what’s going on, we don’t; we trust you, you take it from here.’ ”
Six months after the March 6 fire, Knecht said those prayers have been answered as his community, employees and customers — including the Pittsburgh Penguins pro hockey team — rallied to re-energize the business.
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Farewell to summer party
Buhl Day may have changed over the years, from the type of food served to the entertainment featured, but its true intent remains intact, planning committee members said at Monday’s opening ceremonies.
The 31st annual event at Buhl Farm park, Hermitage, serves as the Shenango Valley’s “last hurrah” of the summer to pay tribute to philanthropist Frank H. Buhl and his wife Julia Forker Buhl, said Sue McLaughlin, one of five committee co-chairs.
Buhl Farm trustee Phil Marrie invited park-goers to check out Buhl Farm’s biggest upgrades completed this year.
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Man wanted for alleged actions against girl
A 24-year-old Jamestown man is wanted by state police on charges including unlawful contact with a minor stemming from an Aug. 11 incident in which police allege he sent an obscene photo and/or video of himself to a 12-year-old girl.
Bradley James Cleveland, 306 1/2 Liberty St., may have fled the area, police said.
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Borough manager exhibits optimism
After nearly five months on the job as Greenville’s borough manager, Scott Andrejchak already feels settled in.
“I like Greenville a lot. It’s a great place,” he said Friday afternoon in his office at the borough building, taking a break from working on the 2011 budget.
Council members hired Andrejchak to replace Ryan Eggleston, who resigned in November to work as city manager of Oil City.
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Day dedicated to workers
Here’s to the workingman.
They’re the ones who once put Mercer County on the map as one of the places where steel, pipe and tube, ladders, railcars and a variety of other products were made by proud men and women who put in an honest day’s work.
Today isn’t supposed to be a holiday of picnics and end-of-summer celebrations. -
League sets debate date; Dahlkemper ad questioned
Local political junkies, mark your calendars.
Third District Congressional rivals Kathy Dahlkemper and Mike Kelly will face off at a League of Woman Voters of Mercer County forum from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 26 at the Sharon City Building.
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Shenango Twp. man was hurt in Sunday crash
