Architectural firm: Raze all of former Sullivan West High

BLUFF CITY — A Kingsport architectural firm has recommended Sullivan County's public school system raze the former Sullivan West Middle School in Sullivan Gardens.The demolition would cost more than $570,000, an architect estimated.The Sullivan County Schools Board of Education met at Bluff City Elementary School Thursday for a work session and then meeting.During the work session, it saw first-hand the need for what school officials called a waiting area or "fish bowl" for students to wait to board buses.The new safety entrance for the school would cost an estimated amount less than $1 million, school maintenance supervisor Bill Burchett told the board during the voting meeting.Neither of those proposals got a vote, but in the voting meeting, the board voted 6-0, with member Todd McKinley absent, to approve spending up to $275,000 in unrestricted fund balance to put a new water cooling tower at Emmett Elementary School by the fall of this year.It is to replace one that froze over the winter and has more than 20 water leaks. The existing cooler is being used by continually replacing the water leaking out with new water, Director of Schools Chuck Carter said.SULLIVAN WEST RECOMMENDATIONThat recommendation was among three options: renovate it all for an estimated $11,138,864.78, renovate the gym area only for an estimated $3,132,215.28 or tear it down, including removing and disposing of hazardous asbestos and lead-based paint, for an estimated $573,819.60A private alumni group headed by Manuel Steffey has proposed turning the structure into a community center if it can acquire the building. However, architectural firm officials said after demolition that building a new gym closer to the elementary school might better serve the system and/or community and cost about the same as trying to renovate the existing gym.The board sought an assessment and recommendation from Cain Rash West Architects on the building, parts of which date back to 1931 and most recently was the middle school portion of Sullivan Gardens K-8 before it closed in 2021.Architects Dineen West and Richard "Rick" Lutz presented an 18-page document to the board during the work session, based on CRW work and that of Steve Wilson of Stoden Wilson Structural Engineers and mechanical engineering and electrical engineering firms."Our recommendation would be ... tear it down and start all over again," West told the board. Board members Angie Stanley and Mark Vicars agreed."Sometimes there comes a time" to demolish a building, Stanley said, adding that she feared a structure in poor condition being so close to the elementary school."I just really hate tearing down old high schools," Vicars said.The school's original section was built in 1931, damaged by fire in the 1950s, reopened in a few days and closed in 2021. It was Sullivan High School from 1931-68, Sullivan West High from 1968 until becoming Sullivan West MIddle in 1980 and then became part of Sullivan Gardens K-8 with Sullivan Elementary next door.Lutz said it has been unheated and uncooled since 2021 and while still in operation in 2015 was projected to have cost $4.8 million to renovate in a pre-COVID-19 price escalation era.The CRW assessment, following a school board tour of the facility last year, found standing water, mold and antiquated and/or worn out equipment, although Lutz said one of the natural gas boilers would be worth salvaging for another building.He said the gym appeared in good shape and had modern HVAC units but that the front lobby appeared to have dry rot in wood framing, adding that one water-logged area was inaccessible and smelled of mold. He said electrical service was a "terrible condition."As for plumbing, Lutz said it was in poor condition, although in answering a question from board member Mark Vicars Lutz said he did not believe the sewer lines serving the elementary school and a church and up to five houses ran under the old high school.However, he said the water line for the elementary school could be there and a new water tap should be made for the elementary school. The sewer lines feed into a treatment plant on school property.West theorized that in the 1950s the fire damage was fixed so quickly, allowing the school to reopen four days later, that issues with water were not addressed and left to get worse and worse over the years.BLUFF CITY ELEMENTARY ENTRANCEDuring a work session tour of the building with Principal Hank Hare, the board after looking over sections throughout the building looked at the current main entrance and main exit, just a few feet from J. Forest Thomas Street where buses pick up students, to another potential entrance just southwest of there, also along J. Forest Thomas Street.Maintenance supervisor Burchett estimated that project would be a "little less than a million dollars." Hare said the change, which would convert two classrooms into a main office and offices for the principal, assistant principal and school resource office, the later in a large broom closet, is sorely needed.The two classrooms would be replaced by converting the existing office area into classrooms.He said the current system, which has a very small "fish bowl," gives parents and other access to the school as students exit the building. He also said parents and others can overhear conversations in the office.He said Bluff City is the only school in the system he knows about without such a safety entrance.