Portage Path Divides Crowd: School Ideas Debated at Heated Forum

By Stephanie Warsmith, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

Feb. 1–While the debate about the development of Highland Square continues, the Akron school district tried Wednesday night to advance discussion of what should happen with the neighboring Portage Path Elementary School.

School and city leaders presented three possible site plans for a new school, including two proposals involving the Highland Theater property nearby.

About 150 parents, teachers, students and residents attended the heated meeting in the nearly 100-year-old school at 55 S. Portage Path.

Speculation on plans for the school have run rampant, especially since the recent news that the owner of the struggling Highland Theater had obtained a demolition permit. The Highland Square Neighborhood Association has been trying to save the theater and turn it into a community performing arts center.

Portage Path Elementary is caught in the middle, with parents and staff wanting a new school to be built, not put on hold because of the area’s development debate.

“We have been waiting for so long,” said LaMonica Davis, the school’s principal. “We don’t want to wait any longer. Our school is falling apart.”

City and school leaders who attended the meeting said there are no formal plans to buy the theater property. When the possibility of the theater space came to light, Mayor Don Plusquellic said, they decided this property had to be considered in the plans for the new Portage Path.

“I live in the real world here and these kids need a quality school,” Plusquellic said. “We also need to do what we can to protect this Highland Square neighborhood.”

City and school leaders searched for another site in the neighborhood to house the school but were unable to find one, Plusquellic said.

John Wheeler, an architect working on the district’s project, said plans for the school have been challenging, because of the small, 2.4-acre site and the fact that it is landlocked by residential and commercial properties. He presented an overview of possible site plans.

The first proposal has the new school being built essentially where it now stands, with no effect on the Highland Theater.

The second is the same plan, but with parking where the back of the theater is now. The parking would be for the retail businesses, though the school would hope to use it for overflow during larger gatherings.

The third proposal would shift the school so that it partially sits where the theater is currently, with an entrance on West Market Street. The auditorium, cafeteria and gym would be open to the public during nonschool hours.

All of the Portage Path proposals involve the school being torn down and rebuilt. The district has come full circle on its plans for the school, which was initially slated to be rebuilt but then was to be renovated because of concerns about its historical significance.

School leaders say they’ve found that renovating the school would cost about $1.2 million more than tearing it down and building new, which is estimated to cost about $9.5 million.

Some at the meeting clearly weren’t happy about the possibility of the school — and theater — being torn down.

“If you take down the school and take the theater down with it, you will take away all the character in Highland Square,” said resident John Shockley. “I do not want Highland Square to change any more than it has.”

Portage Path teacher Karen Grindall said a rebuilt school is favored among staff and parents who have served on a committee that has met for the past year.

“Our children deserve to get out of this building and into a new facility,” she said. “We need to get going with this.”

Davis said problems with the school include ceilings falling apart, steps cracking, mildew in the hallways and windows that don’t close.

Several people spoke in favor of saving the theater, rather than using it for parking space.

Plusquellic said he would be happy if community residents pooled their money and bought the theater and it was successful. He said he hasn’t seen anyone step forward to buy the theater or the property.

If that happened, he said, it would solve the problem because the space would no longer be available.

Nothing was resolved Wednesday on plans for the school.

School and city officials said they will consider the input they received at the meeting.

Stephanie Warsmith can be reached at 330-996-3705 or swarsmith@thebeaconjournal.com.

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Copyright (c) 2007, The Akron Beacon Journal, Ohio

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