Vacant school could be removed following report

  • 2016-11-09
A recent study recommends Catonsville Elementary School, which has been vacated, should be razed.

Manns Woodward Studios, a White Marsh company, performed the survey, which Baltimore County commissioned in 2015. The building, which was built in 1909 and opened the following year, comprises 57,692 square feet. An addition to it came in 1971.

Ellen Kobler, spokeswoman for the county, said modernizing the old building does not fit well with other plans the county has. It has already committed to a $1.3bn project called Schools for our Future, which includes building 15 new schools, working on additions at 11 others, and putting in air conditioning systems in those schools that lack central cooling.

With that in the future, Kobler said the county did not have the money the firm said it would take to modernize a century-old building. The county is thinking of replacing Catonsville Elementary with a community center and a park.

Not everyone is happy with the idea of razing the old school, particularly as Catonsville needs space, says Char Brooks who heads a group that advocates saving the building. Also objecting to the move is Klaus Philipsen, president of Baltimore-based ArchPlan, which drew up plans to illustrate how local arts organizations could use the old school. Tom Quirk, a county councilman, hopes to hold public meetings soon to get community input.

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