Abington School Board provides timeline for Glenside-Weldon demolition, launches school district app

By Jarreau Freeman jfreeman@montgomerynews.com

The demolition of the Glenside-Weldon School has been a frequent topic of discussion at several of the board meetings in the last year, and the Aug. 27 meeting was no exception.

The board approved the future demolition of the building in June, transferring $2 million from the general fund balance to the capital projects fund to cover the costs of the project, which was factored into the 2013-14 budget.

At previous meetings, the board explained they will keep and maintain the site until the construction of a new school building is needed.

We have grown by 300 students in the last three years, at the rate of about 100 students a year, so there is a significant possibility that we will need to build an additional elementary school in the future, said board President Raymond McGarry June 11. I think we are doing the prudent thing and whats in the best interest for the community.

Facilities Supervisor Stephen Saile presented a timeline for the demolition of the building.

According to Saile, the board began advertising the closure of the school Sept. 3 and will hold a public hearing regarding the pending closure Sept. 18. From the end of the year until January 2014, plans and specifications for the demolition and site design will be made and reviewed by the Montgomery County Planning Conservation District and Abington Township Planning and Code Enforcement.

The board is scheduled to take action regarding the closure of the school Jan. 14, and the demolition will be advertised and go to bid late January into February. Contractual awards are scheduled for allocation in March, and the demolition is scheduled to begin in April. Project completion and project closeout is scheduled for September and October 2014.

The demolition of the building will occur in four phases, Saile explained. Phase one will occur between April and May and entail the preliminary demolition of the building and asbestos abatement in the power house. Between May and June asbestos abatement will occur within the building and site demolition and clearing will commence. The demolition of the school building will take place in phase three from July to August, and the final phase of the project will occur in September and entail the construction of the new athletic field and site restoration.

Saile also explained that it is more cost effective for the district to demolish the building than to renovate it. Projections for 2014 show it will cost the district an estimated $29.4 million to renovate Glenside-Weldon and $26.2 million to demolish the building and create a new one. Continued...

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Abington School Board provides timeline for Glenside-Weldon demolition, launches school district app