Annex demolition put off until end of school year

Update By KEVIN PARKS ThisWeek Community News Friday April 25, 2014 5:26 PM

As a result of what he termed safety concerns that have been shared, Columbus City Schools Superintendent J. Daniel Good announced Friday, April 25, that demolition of the Clinton Annex will not take place until after classes let out for the summer.

The project, over the objections of many in the community, was originally scheduled to have started next week, and a Stop the Demolition Rally! to keep the Clinton Annex from being torn down remains scheduled for 5 p.m. Monday, April 28.

The protest against plans by Columbus City Schools officials to remove the 110-year-old structure from the grounds of Clinton Elementary was to have taken place near the intersection of North High Street and Clinton Heights Avenue.

It is being organized by resident Gavin DeVore Leonard, who also launched a petition on the website MoveOn.org to urge members of the board of education to hold off on demolition plans.

As of Friday afternoon, 352 people had signed the online petition.

That same afternoon, however, Good released a letter announcing the decision to put off the project until after May 29.

The district takes its responsibility of providing a safe, high-quality, educationally appropriate environment for our students and staff very seriously, he wrote. In light of the safety concerns that have been shared, as well as the potential disruption to students and staff during the upcoming state assessments, Columbus City Schools has informed our contractor that demolition work on the Clinton Elementary School Annex will not begin until after the last day of school

The contractor concurs that this schedule is workable without any significant cost to the project.

A decision by a majority of the Clintonville Area Commission not to approve a demolition permit at their April 3 meeting put the project on hold until April 29, the day after the planned rally.

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Annex demolition put off until end of school year