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McCook Gazette

West Ward coming down?

Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Lorri Sughroue

It would be cheaper to tear down the former West Ward Elementary school building than to remodel it into city offices or another city facility.

That was the opinion of an appraiser the city hired to determine the accuracy of the $100,000 purchase price, offered by D. Jon Morrison to the city for the city block and school building at 300 West Fourth.

The McCook City Council unanimously accepted the appraisal, which put the value of the property at $110,000. Jim Bain Appraisal Associates Inc. of North Platte came to that amount by assessing the property at $180,000, minus the $70,000 for the demolition of the existing school building.

A study done in 2005 by W Designs estimated that it could cost at least $500,000 to preserve the school, McCook City Manager Kurt Fritsch told the council. To convert the building for an entirely different capacity, such as city offices or for a fire/police station, would cost considerably more.

Still, the council took no action on what it would actually do with the property at this time. Instead, it moved forward with the purchase, by unanimously approving the payment of $97,000, taking into the account the $3,000 the city already paid in February as a good faith option. Any back taxes owed on the property, estimated at about $2,600, would also be deducted from the $97,000.

On another regular agenda item, the council also declined to take any action of an offer from Lester Warren to buy from the city a city-owned vacant lot on South Street for $100.

At this time, the city is not interested in selling the property, council decided.

Warren stated that his offer is due to possible contamination of the site by the railroad. City staff is not aware of any contamination but directed Warren to provide proof of his claim from a licensed engineer or geo-technical firm and to also have the property professionally appraised by by a licensed appraisal as part of his offer.

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  • Isn't this the same response when studying for the new school? To tear West Ward down versus build new? Since the building has been sitting empty for several years, I don't think this would have changed. Why couldn't we have used this money for better things? STREET REPAIRS???????

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Tue, Apr 8, 2008, at 4:51 PM

  • the whole tearing west ward down thing kind of is sad for me since it is the school that i went to. makes me sad to see it go if it does i was really hoping that it would be made into something useful instead of just destroyed.

    -- Posted by billybobi on Thu, Apr 10, 2008, at 10:36 AM

  • Tearing down the West Ward School has to be a very emotional experience for many who have attended the school. I remember it so well as I only lived a 1/2 a block away, on West 3rd. In the late 30's & 40's, my Mom cooked hot dinners (not luches) for several of the teachers -- including Miss Flora Dutcher.

    After I finished my World Hearld paper route in the morning, I was just in time to walk the 1/2 a block to school.

    I was able to enjoy many many games on the playground-- from monkey bars & rings to marbles & kick ball.

    The first reunion of my class of 50 that I was able to attend was in the 70"s. I was so hurt at not being able to look at our old MHS -- it was gone.

    What a hurt!

    I realize that these are only wonderful memories and cloud the issue of finances. Schools everywhere are fighting a severe budget problem as I am sure McCook has a problem too. If tearing down the building and losing some wonderful memories will hurt but will help educate our kids -- then so be it.

    Gary Smith

    -- Posted by gary1950 on Thu, Apr 10, 2008, at 4:00 PM

  • I TOO HAVE ALOT OF MEMORIES WHILE ATTENDING SCHOOL THERE FROM 1968-1973, I HAD A COUPLE OF REALLY GOOD TEACHERS, WHILE ATTENDING THERE, THE 2 I REMEMBER WELL, IS MRS ROEDEL, AND MRS APPLEGARTH, VERY FOND MEMORIES, AND GREAT TEACHERS THANK YOU LADIES FOR GIVING ME YOUR TIME TO TEACH ME THE IMPORTANCE OF A EDUCATION.

    -- Posted by gabby1963 on Fri, Apr 11, 2008, at 1:01 AM

  • Mr. Smith, Our problem doesn't lie with the fact that our children needed better education. Of which I still beg to differ since them being taught in the new school. However, we voted to build a new school because West Ward was too expensive to "rebuild". Why did the City have to go and spend more of our public tax money towards a building that needs to be torn down anyway and build something else -- USELESS WAY OF SPENDING OUR MONEY AGAIN.

    -- Posted by FNLYHOME on Fri, Apr 11, 2008, at 8:54 AM

  • My bet is they bought it for a future cop shop and fire station, combined with city offices. Just glad they didn't pay a million or two for it and then tell the taxpayers. At least this was all done out in the open and voted on by the council in an open meeting not done behind everyone's back, like a former council did a few years back.

    At least the weeds should get mowed this year.

    -- Posted by goarmy67 on Mon, Apr 14, 2008, at 11:50 PM
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