Restored Washington School 5% complete

March 5, 2024March 5, 2024 Addie Hinterweger 0 Comments

By Addie Hinterweger

PITTSBURG, Kansas —Demolition on the Washington School is complete, so developers are moving on to the roof.

Ron Scripsick, head of the community development organization Point Forward, said the roof is the priority.

“We’re at that 5% right now,” Scripsick said. “We plan to be done by the end of the year.”

A construction worker on the site of the Washington School renovation project stands high in a lift table while assisting with raising pieces of the roof frame onto the building on February 15.

The Washington School, a historical educational building originally built in the 1800s at 207 S Locust, is undergoing renovation after being abandoned for almost 30 years in a development project to provide 1100 spaces for childcare by January 2025.

The demolition began in November 2024, but progress has been made despite difficult working conditions due to snow this winter. Mat Burton, a developer on the project, says that while it was a slow start, progress is going smoothly, and “[they’re] getting into a rhythm,” Burton said.

The childcare facility will open in January 2024 and fill a void of over 1000 spots for children in Pittsburg. Scripsick specified that there is over a year and a half waiting list for parents to get their child in a care facility.

A construction worker on the site of the Washington School renovation project oversees the work of the project while standing on a lift table on February 15.

Burton said that the shortage of childcare is a national issue and is not unique to Pittsburg, but that does not mean there cannot be a unique solution.

“Pittsburg can be progressive in this epidemic,” Burton said, “and ask ourselves questions like how do we contribute to this, and what kind of unique, creative solution can we provide?”