Proposal for Old Middle School Unveiled

3 Buildings Would Be Renovated for Community Use
CENTRAL — After months of consideration and two public hearings, Supt. Mike Faulk Monday released a proposed plan for future use of the old Central Middle School property at the corner of Hooper and Sullivan roads.
Now the superintendent is hoping the public will make comments and provide some direction on how the school system should proceed with the use of the 26-acre site.
Faulk’s plan includes two phases.  The first would involve removing all but three buildings on the property and renovating the remaining buildings for use by the school system and the community.
Targeted for removal are the old auditorium and gymnasium, the cafeteria, sixth grade building, library, and air conditioning and heating building.
The old girls gym facing Sullivan Road would be offered to the community.  If an organization agrees to remove and restore it, they could have it, Faulk said.  Otherwise, it too would be taken down.  Contractors who have visited the building say it would be difficult to move and restore and quite expensive.   One compromise is to remove the gym floor, which is in relatively good shape, and use it for some other purpose.
Under Faulk’s plan, the  three best buildings on the property would be retained and extensively restored.  Those three buildings are
•    The large L-shaped Central Middle administration building that faces Sullivan;
•    The Home Economics building behind the old girls gym, and
•    The Industrial Arts building to the right of the old girls gym.
Faulk envisions using the front part of the L-shaped building for school board administrative offices.  He would use the Home Economics building for an alternative school and discipline.  And the old Industrial Arts building would be used for purchasing, maintenance, and other purposes.
This would leave the back of the L-shaped building for use by the Central community.  Faulk wants to offer the City of Central more than 20,000 square feet in the back of that building.  The city would simply have to renovate the space, and they would be able to lease the property for $1 a year. The city is currently using 3,000 square feet for City Hall and 2,600 square feet for IBTS, he said.
Faulk would like to see part of the building used for things such as a post office, parish library branch, registrar of voters, clerk of court, and drivers license.
The superintendent said he has sent copies of his proposal to the Mayor and City Councilmen for their review and comments.  He said some Councilman have already expressed interest.
After the old buildings have been cleared and the renovations completed, the second phase of the plan includes inviting proposals for commercial development of the remainder of the property.  At that time, the school board would have to determine if the proposals were in the best interest of the school system.
School board president Dr. Jim Gardner said one benefit of the plan would be to centralize many governmental services for the convenience of Central residents.
Gardner said he too wants to get citizens’ reaction to the plan.  Meanwhile, he said, the board will be pulling together the cost figures for implementing it.
Gardner said he is pleased the school board is able to make such a generous offer to the City of Central for shared use of the property.  He said he believes that could benefit the citizens of Central for years to come.
Reached at City Hall, David Barrow, chief administrative officer for the City of Central, said the city would be taking a look at the superintendent’s proposal.   He said one complicating factor is the fact that the City has not yet decided where it would like the City Center to be located.  “But the good thing is we have time to consider the options,” he said.
The property at the old Central Middle School has historic significance for the Central community.  In the 1880’s, a number of one-room schoolhouses existed in what is now Central.  But the area was not called Central.  Each area, such as Frenchtown Road, had its own name and its own school.  Representatives of nine of the schools met to try to agree on the location of a high school.  Ultimately, Hooper and Sullivan was chosen because it was centrally located among the various one-room schoolhouses.  So that school was called the Central School.  By the 1930’s, the community was being referred to as “Central.”
Supt. Faulk said citizens can express their opinions on the plan by emailing him at mfaulk@centralcss.org.