Please allow me to clear up a few misconceptions:1. Renovation typically costs 1/2 as much as new construction.2. Renovation typically includes demolishing everything back to the bare bones (structure). New code compliant construction fills the gutted structure.3. The school board could recieve State and Federal Historic Tax Credits from the Department of the Interior by renovating an older structure. 10% state and 20% federal for a total of $.30 back on each dollar spent.4. The Field House property is larger than 4 acres (excluding the existing Field House building).5. The Field House would not serve as the school but as the gymnasium for a new school beside it. It could be renovated to current standards and still have community attractions.6. That area of the Huntington community is in decline. Moving the school to another location will have negative economic impact.7. Either renovating or building a new school in the current area will at least stabliize and possibly raise property values around it. Also, the Greater Huntington Park Board currently owns the Memorial Field House. They do not have enough funding to properly maintain it. I suspect they would be interested in transfering it to the School Board under the condition that it remains a community attraction venue.This is a win, win, win situation for the Park Board, School Board, and City of Huntington. 
Anonymous Informer on HD site–re: renovate Field House & site for school
By goodnessgraciouswvanon-1v3y80kModerate:
February 10, 2009 at 4:07 pm |
[...] But, the claim (by Superintendent Bill Smith by email to me) is that there is too much traffic by the Field House (granted, but could we not ameliorate that in some way–say, a big fence and a pedestrian walkway over the road?), that the demolition is expected to be over $2.5 million (how much will the demolition of University Heights cost?, after we pay “fair market value” and take it by eminent domain from Prestera), that the drainage is bad and cannot be handled by the city, so there needs to be big holding tanks & buffer system underground for that (the second HD article says $375,000 for that). And, I’m afraid that we’ve forgotten what was said at the “Community Meeting” last January by Charles Holley who works for the city of Huntington — their experience is that they spend (if gutting an old, strong, historic building and rebuilding all the guts to be up to code) one-third less than building from scratch. I refer you also to a “comment” from the HD that is unattributed but sounds like they might know something from last January’s blog post. [...]