'We're ready to go': Springdale's Colfax School ready for demolition

A nearly 100-year-old institution in Springdale is coming down.

Crews with Kane Specialty Group of Pine will begin demolishing the former Colfax Upper Elementary School either Friday or Monday , said Jim Kane, company president.

“We’re ready to go,” Kane said Thursday at the site.

Crews began preparing the site for demolition Thursday. Demolition will start on the west wing of the building, which held the school’s main office and library.

Colfax closed in 2018, and its students were sent to the renovated Acmetonia Elementary School in Harmar. The building has been vacant since. The school board approved Colfax’s demolition in 2022.

The district tried for two years to sell the building, but its location in a residential area meant zoning changes or conditional use permits would be needed if the building changed uses. No buyers came forward.

The school board, concerned that further delays would increase costs, ultimately decided demolition was the best option.

The Allegheny County Health Department tested the building for asbestos Thursday and inspected the cafeteria and main office areas of the school, said Jan Zastawniak, district spokeswoman.

Asbestos abatement of the building started in November and was done by AGX Inc., an environmental consulting firm in McCandless. Zastawniak said there have been no issues with abatement and AGX has been onsite daily during the asbestos removal process.

Kane was awarded the demolition contract in October. The firm was the lowest responsible bidder at $404,000.

“It’s ahead of schedule,” Zastawniak said.

According to Zastawniak, to prepare for demolition, the building was divided in three areas: its east wing (cafeteria area), the west wing (main office and library areas) and the original building erected in 1925. That entry is located along Colfax Street and is the tallest part of the structure, housing classrooms and the gymnasium.

Total size of the building is around 64,000 square feet.

Being demolished at the same time as the west wing is the connecting corridor to the original structure.

Then, crews will demolish the cafeteria wing.

The original portion of the building will be torn down last. That’s anticipated to occur in February. Some of the masonry may be crushed during that time, Zastawniak said.

The site will be backfilled and leveled once all slabs and footers are removed.

Kane said he will preserve the stone support over the original front door, which reads “Colfax School,” as well as a brass plate from inside.

District officials anticipate site restoration to occur in March. Kane has an April 10 deadline to complete the project.

“We’ll achieve that, no problem,” Kane said.

Kane said he has been in business for nearly 40 years and has a history of demolishing retail strip malls, industrial or mill sites and other commercial buildings.

“It’s a sturdily built school,” he said.

What to expect

Kane said neighbors may hear loud noises from the demolition area between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m.

“When we start hammering on the building, it’s going to be noisy,” he said. “We are right in the heart of a residential (district.)”

How much dust is generated from demolition depends on the weather, Zastawniak said. She said the contractor will “wet down” the area to create the least amount of dust possible.

“We will monitor that (during) the whole course of the demolition,” Kane said. “We’ll wet as we go.”

Susan Brozek Scott of Hampton was running errands in the area and happened to stop by Elwyn Avenue on Thursday afternoon. The former reporter and producer for WPXI-TV attended the school for fifth and sixth grade in the 1970s.

“Time marches on,” she said. “I had hope it might be turned into some type of senior citizen complex, but I also understand things change over the years.

“I don’t live here now, so I watch from a distance and hope for the best for everyone in the community and the young people growing up in the Allegheny Valley School District.”

Scott used to live at the corner of Elwyn and Murtland avenues. She helped found the Dynamo Education Foundation, which helps with grants for classroom projects in the district.

When thinking of her time at Colfax, memories flooded back.

“I remember the teachers more than the physical structure. Although it’s a beautiful building, a lot of the lessons really stuck with me.”

She also recalled returning to Springdale in 2018 to attend a farewell event for the school.

“We had a great time,” she said. “It was a really memorable one. It really connected a lot of us. I’ll always treasure the memories — even dissecting a frog.”