Norton top pick on Gary school demolition survey
Duncan, Riley, Melton buildings also near top of recommended list
Vacant Norton school, where the body of a dead Portage woman was discovered in 2019, was the top pick of Gary residents who responded to a survey ranking schools for demolition.
Gary Community School Corp. operations manager Paige McNulty said Tuesday at a community forum that Norton, at 1356 Harrison St., topped the list, with 92% of respondents recommending it for demolition.
McNulty said “hundreds” responded to the survey, released in October.
She said Duncan, 1110 W. 21st Ave., and Riley, 1301 E. 43rd Ave., were next at 85%, followed by Melton at 84%. Melton is located at 4581 Fillmore St.
In 2011 the body of a 37-year-old Griffith woman was found by children at the vacant Riley school. Her body was on the pavement against an exterior wall that faced a playground.
The Portage woman, who was killed in Portage, was dumped inside Norton by her killers.
McNulty said the district has about $3 million remaining in a state school loan account it has targeted for the demolition. She said the district would move forward on the demolition of one or two buildings in the spring.
She also told the audience that since the district began publicizing its demolition survey, it received offers on several vacant schools. McNulty did not identify the schools or the offers.
She said the offers would be vetted with the district’s attorney, and viable offers would also be shared with the mayor’s office, per state law.
The remaining school in the demolition survey was Ambridge, 370 Rutledge St.
McNulty said demolition could begin by spring.
Three schools also remain up for sale. They include Roosevelt High, 730 W. 25th Ave.; Lincoln, 1988 Polk St.; and Webster, 3720 Pierce St.