District Rules Out Using Delmar-Harvard for Teen Center, Boxing Venue or Anything Else

University City teens who envisioned using the empty as a hangout spot are out of luck.

By consensus, school board members nixed any plans to allow groups to use the building while a committee decides what to do with it. The issue came up at a school board workshop Thursday evening.

Some people had suggested housing a teen center in the building. One organization wanted to host boxing matches there. Superintendent Joylynn Pruitt said the district has been, "inundated with requests." However, board members as well as administration officials agree that temporarily opening the building and making it operational would be too expensive. 

The building is expected to remain vacant for at least a year while a committee decides its future. 

Pruitt said keeping the building inoperative is more cost-effective for the district. If people are allowed to use the building, the district would have to pay for utilities, phone and trash service and maintenance.

"It's a dollar-and-cents issue," said school board member Ellen Bern, in voicing her opposition to the building's temporary use. 

"I'm against it," said school board member Tom Peters. "This building is in a repurposing process. Stay the course and leave it fallow."

Executive Director of Operations Karl Scheidt explained that because Delmar-Harvard was closing down, it did not have to make certain upgrades, such as being ADA accessible. He said reopening the building could put the district on the hook for making very expensive upgrades.