Schools
Wreck Glenside-Weldon?
The Abington School Board looks at the possibility of razing the school; it could cost as much as $2.1 million.
It’s been a while since Abington students called the Glenside-Weldon building home. Its permanent students left in 2001 when nearby Copper-Beech Elementary School opened; the building then acted as a temporary home for students from several other schools, including some Springfield Township students. But now, the school serves mostly as a big storage closet for the district.
The building could be on borrowed time.
Find out what's happening in Abingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Last week, the Abington School Board entertained a feasibility study on demolishing the Easton Road building. The study also provided two options for parking lots.
One of the options includes the creation of 125 parking spaces in two separate lots. According to the diagrams presented by Hayes Large Architects, this option would allow enough space for a future elementary school, with a parent drop-off area along Parkdale Avenue. It would also keep the existing athletic fields. The cost for this option is estimated to be between $646,000 and $790,000.
Find out what's happening in Abingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Option two includes the creation of 250 parking paces in one lot with the creation of an additional athletic field. The cost for this option would be between $719,000 and $878,000.
See the sketches.
Both options would take between 36 to 50 weeks to create; the feasibility study suggests performing a parking study.
Demolishing the school would take between 48 and 64 weeks, according to the study. It would include demolishing the foundation to -2 feet and breaking up the slabs to permit drainage; demolishing or disconnecting utilities; removing underground tanks and any contaminated soil; removing hazardous material like asbestos and lead; and restoring the site after demolition.
The cost to demolish the school could run between $1.7 to $2.1 million.
No action was taken regarding the feasibility study; the issue will likely resurface quickly at an upcoming meeting.
--
. According to the motion, the leasing commission would be 6 percent of all rent, paid on a monthly basis. The motion also included an expenditure of “up to $4,000” for marketing materials.
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.
