NEWS12 (kxii.com)
Denison City Council votes to demolish the old Central Ward School
by Kristen Shanahan
August 19, 2013
Denison,
Texas - The Denison City Council voted unanimously Monday night to
begin the demolition process of a nearly 100-year-old building.
City Council members agree the old elementary school on Sears St. is a
public nuisance and a hazard, but the property owner disagrees.
He says with time and financial help the old school can be turned
into a safe place the entire community can enjoy.
The
old red brick building, built in 1917, was once the Denison Ward
School, but the old elementary school might not be standing much longer
after the city voted to demolish it Monday night. Mayor Jared
Johnson says the building is a danger to the public.
"Falling bricks, broken glass. It's time to deal with this issue," Johnson said.
However, property owner James Roa says those are just small issues that can be fixed.
"It's
an awesome building, a fortress. It's all made out of concrete
and concrete lasts for thousands of years. So structurally this
building is in sound condition," Roa said.
Johnson says Roa can save the building by getting it up to standard before demolition actually begins.
"If
he's able to do that then we could delay or forego the demolition, but
we got to get it up to those standards," Johnson said.
Some of these standards include fixing the broken glass windows and the falling brick.
Roa
says he plans to find the money to fix those issues, and then with the
community's support hopes to turn this old school into a castle.
"It could be made to look beautiful. It would be like the ugly duckling turning into a beautiful swan," Roa said.
He would name it The Benjamin Franklin Castle, a multicultural center and chess academy.
"This
would be a good place to have lectures, classes on nutrition, health
and many other things that Benjamin Franklin was interested in," Roa
said.
Roa
says it could potentially bring in a lot of money to the local economy
by hosting state and national chess tournaments. Johnson says he
thinks it's a unique idea, and hopes Roa can turn his dream into a
reality.
"As
far as our ability to participate with him on a financial arrangement
or join venture and stuff, that's just not a situation the city's in.
We're going to prioritize our needs and that's not something that
would be very high on our list," Johnson said.
Roa
hopes the community will help him save the historic building before
demolition begins in the near term. If you are interested in
donating to the cause you can email Roa at jimmyproton@sbcglobal.net. |
