The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
School board considers options
Three months ago a fire destroyed the Willoughby-Eastlake Board of Education building
More than three months after the March 14 fire that destroyed the Willoughby-Eastlake Board of Education building, school officials report insurance negotiations are underway and options for a possible new location are being considered.
Superintendent Steve Thompson said the insurance company went through the process of bringing in structural engineers to determine whether the building could be rebuilt.
“The structural engineers determined that the fire damage is too extensive and it can not be rebuilt,” Thompson said. “As we understand it, the only thing salvageable from that building potentially would be the foundation itself.”
All the existing walls would have to come down, he added.
The heat would have reached such a level as to compromise not only the sandstone but the mortar that holds the sandstone together, Thompson said.
Further complicating any plans to rebuild at the original site is the asbestos released from the building, which poured down on everything.
“That’s why you see all the remnants in the front yard that are all covered in plastic,” Thompson said. “It’s because they have asbestos on them . ... The majority of the sandstone has been either compromised or covered in asbestos.”
He said the cost to rebuild that building on that exact piece of property would be expensive.
“We have explored possibilities and we have some options,” Thompson said. “We haven’t determined at this point what we are going to do.”
Some of the options being considered include building a new facility, either on the current property or another piece of property, or purchasing an existing building and renovating it.
He said several potential office buildings have been explored in addition to creating a mock-up as to what it would cost roughly to build new.
Thompson said the original building will not be torn down until a final resolution has been reached with the insurance company.
“It gets a little complex in terms of the insurance settlement, what it will cost to rebuild the building is subject to some opinion,” he said in regards to the extensive millwork and woodwork found throughout the original structure.
How much the district gets in the insurance settlement will be determined by the cost to rebuild and the dollar amount per square foot. And that will drive the choices the district can make, Thompson said.
The district is in negotiations with the insurance company, which made an offer after its June 19 meeting, but that was rejected by the district. Thompson did not disclose the amount of the offer but noted that it was less than the anticipated amount.
“The insurance company is trying to drive a hard bargain and so is the district. We want to maximize the amount of money and come up with a fair deal,” he said. “I believe we will, we are just not there yet . ... Ultimately our goal is to rebuild the building or purchase a new building without costing the taxpayers any money.”
The superintendent said he thinks that if the district pays $350,000 a year to insure the buildings then it is the insurance company’s obligation to rebuild the building, not the taxpayers.
“In order to replace the Board of Education (building), the only money spent on that structure will come from our insurance policy,” he said. “It is our duty to ensure that this process be completed correctly and we will not ask taxpayers to assume any financial responsibility for this unfortunate fire.”
Thompson also noted that while he does not envision this becoming a litigation issue, there is a possibility the negotiations process could drag out for a while.
“We are going to work with the insurance company and I believe they are going to work with us at this point,” he said.
Thompson also noted that he is hopeful with another negotiation meeting set to be scheduled soon that they may be able to work something out within the next couple of months.
“It’s a matter of determining what is a fair number to pay off the insurance claim,” he said. “The insurance company is going to protect their interest and I am going to protect the district’s interest.”
Then Design Architecture of Willoughby is working on behalf of the district to help determine the rebuild cost.
Thompson anticipates a resolution that will have the Board of Education in a renovated space or be well underway in construction by the start of the 2018 school year.