HARRISBURG, Pa. — The former William Penn High School has sat vacant for years.
“We love this building, it’s beautiful," said Van Breithaupt of Harrisburg.
In that time, the abandoned building has become part of Ellie and Van Breithaupt’s family walks around their Harrisburg neighborhood.
“It’s a beautiful piece of property," said Ellie. "We’d love to see it restored but we know it’s a crazy amount of money.”
Between $40 and $90 million to be exact.
At Tuesday night’s school board meeting, the Harrisburg School District presented those figures as what it would potentially cost to fully renovate the building.
It’s money the district doesn’t have, according to its operations director, which is why after evaluating several options, officials are proposing to demolish the school instead.
The district also does not currently need the space that would be provided by a new building.
“Architecturally it’s beautiful," said Ellie Breithaupt. "We’ve had ideas of what we’d like to see happen but it’s interesting they’re finally starting to move on it.”
The building currently has no electricity or HVAC system. The roof is also leaking in several spots, leading to mold.
Over the years, it has also become a target for crime—everything from break-ins and vandalism to arsons.
"Any time we have an abandoned building and people know it’s abandoned, it becomes a concern because it’s subject for kids and people looking for copper, wire, other materials," said Lt. Kyle Gautsch of the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.
Lt. Gautsch says the building has become a public safety concern for the city.
“There is a concern for people going in there that they could get hurt or seriously injured trying to make their way through the property," he added.
From Jan. 1, 2023 through June 13, 2023, there were 34 calls for service at the former William Penn High School, according to statistics provided by the Harrisburg Bureau of Police.
The top two incidents reported were for trespassing and traffic hazards. Most of the traffic hazard calls consisted of complaints regarding people riding dirt bikes on or near the property.
The school district has been quoted $6,993,205.12 for the demolition but is hopeful that it can still negotiate some savings.
That amount includes full asbestos removal and cleanout of the building too.
It would be paid for out of the district's capital reserve funding.
“The pictures we’ve seen of the inside, it’s atrocious the vandalism that’s happened in there so something needs to happen," said Ellie Breithaupt.
The school board will vote to approve the demolition plan on June 27.
If approved, work would start in August or September and take approximately one year to complete.
After the building is demolished, the district plans to keep the property and seek out ways it can support its school community in the future.
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