William Penn High School
William Penn High School will start to be demolished next week, according to Harrisburg school district officials.
Contractors will begin tearing down the 100-year-old building on Tuesday, a district press release sent Thursday afternoon said.
“The district’s representatives in charge of the project will do their best to control both noise and dust during the demolition process,” the press release stated. “The district is also working closely with the Department of Environmental Protection to ensure that the contractors hired for the project are fully compliant with all environmental laws.”
School board officials voted in February to raze William Penn, which has sat vacant since 2011.
Contractors began working to remove asbestos at the site in June, according to school officials.
William Penn High School
“The internal asbestos removal is complete,” a press release continued. “The external asbestos removal, which includes caulk and glaze surrounding many windows is now underway and is planned to be complete mid-August.”
Windows containing asbestos will be entirely removed by certified professionals, the district said.
The district has hired an asbestos consultant that performs regular asbestos air testing. According to the district, of the 136 air samples taken between June 2 and July 10, no tests have come back positive.
The district encourages concerned community members or those who would like to secure a memento brick from the building to contact [email protected].
Administrators have suggested plans to use the 27-acre property for future district needs, such as athletic fields.
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