District to Take Bids on Glenside-Weldon Demo

In keeping with its Glenside-Weldon timeline, the Abington School Board on Tuesday night passed a motion approving the advertisement for bids for the demolition of the former Glenside-Weldon Elementary School on Easton Road. 

The school board permanently closed the school at a meeting earlier this month; it was effective as of Jan. 15. 

Abington Superintendent Amy Sichel said the district’s administration will seek prices for the general demolition of the school, as well as prices for the disposal of any hazardous waste that may be in the building.

Sichel said the district is looking for as many bids as possible; the board will likely receive the bids in March. But first, the school district must submit a demolition permit to the township, which will likely happen Thursday.

Here are some other notable dates regarding the likely demolition of the school, as outlined by Abington School District Facilities Supervisor Stephen Saile last year.

• Jan. 30:  school district officials will submit a demolition permit to the township.
• Feb. 6: The project will be open to bids.
  
• March 6: The board will receive the bids, and five days later, the board will consider taking action to award the demolition contracts.
  
• April 11: The board will take action to execute contracts for the demolition project.
  
• April 23: Construction will commence.
  
• Sept. 6 through Oct. 24: Final completion and project closeout.
  

According to Saile and Assistant Superintendent Leigh Altadonna, if the district were to renovate and add on to the building instead of razing it, those modifications would cost $29.4 million next year and would cost $44.9 million in 2024; the cost of a new building in 2014 would be an estimated $26.2 million and about $36.6 million 10 years from now.

The cost to knock down the building will be about $2 million.

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