No demolition work yet at William Penn, but emergency order ‘speeds up the process’

HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — With all the continued uncertainty about the broader future of the old William Penn High School — which last held high school classes in 1971 — one thing is now certain that wasn’t certain a week ago.

At least part of the building — the part gutted Monday morning in what investigators have confirmed was an act of arson — will be demolished.

Previously, following a “pause” announced in September on what had seemed like certain demolition plans, the idea of preserving the entire building remained possible.

School and city leaders couldn’t say Thursday when demolition of the area that housed the former automotive shop on the north side of the building would begin after city officials issued an emergency declaration Wednesday for the demolition.

The declaration “speeds up the process,” city spokesman Matt Maisel said, but leaders still needed to identify a contractor to do the work, which the Harrisburg School District said in a statement Wednesday would be monitored and regulated by Pennsylvania’s Department of Environmental Protection.

“The best thing moving forward for everyone’s safety is to just demo that part of the former school,” Maisel said.

The school district’s spokesperson declined Thursday to make the district’s court-appointed receiver, Dr. Lori Suski, available for comment. During the district’s continued receivership, Suski has sole ultimate authority over all district decisions, including what will happen with the building.

The district’s statement Wednesday said a task force charged with helping Suski make that decision will continue its work in January.

The building has long been off limits, but that hasn’t stopped curiosity-seekers and mischief-makers — including whoever set Monday’s fire — from getting inside.

Now “the roof there is in danger of collapse,” Maisel said. “We need people to stay away from that building.”

“I wasn’t shocked” by the fire, said Corky Goldstein, who graduated in the school’s class of 1958. “I felt very badly that it happened. But I will tell you this, There are many parts of this building that could fall down anyway.”

Goldstein said the fire only confirmed his long-held belief that most of the building can’t be preserved, although he hopes and believes the school’s iconic facade can remain in front of whatever might happen to the rest of the property.

“No one’s going to be happy with everything here,” Goldstein said. “You can’t please everybody. But at least save the facade of this school.”