The Allentown (Pa.) school board has voted to buy land in the city's downtown where it hopes to build an $82 milllion middle school.
The Allentown Morning Call reports that the Allentown district wants to build a 190,000-square-foot campus, which would replace the 147-year-old Harrison-Morton Middle School. The new building would have a student capacity of 900.
The 6.5-acre tract in question now holds several buildings that are part of a conveyor belt factory. Architect Steve Behrens of Breslin Architects says the site has enough land for athletic spaces, parking and room for key facilities such as an auditorium, gym and cafeteria, plus green space. The land is in a floodplain, which means the new building would need to be elevated, he said.
The district expects to pay about $5.15 million for the land, pending an appraisal.
Renovating the existing Harrison-Morton has several drawbacks, including the the lack of space to expand. The district estimates renovating Harrison-Morton would cost more than $30 million.
Many of the district’s buildings are aging. Seven schools, including Harrison-Morton, are at least 100 years old.
