LIMA — While motorists and pedestrians on Lima’s east side are now enjoying the newly dedicated Lima Stadium Park, residents near the former Emerson School are being left with the byproduct of that new park, according to 3rd Ward Councilman Jesse Lowe II.
In order to help improve the sight lines of the newly renovated stadium from both the park and the street, several truckloads of dirt were removed from the park site during construction. Those loads of dirt, which also contain broken concrete, bricks and other debris, were dumped in the grass behind Emerson School. The school, closed since 2011, is located on East Edwards Street north of Schoonover Park.
“Where there was once a nice, clean field, and Lima City schools used to keep it mowed nicely, it’s no longer there,” Lowe said. “Since then, it has been a haven for groundhogs and rodents, and there’s grass growing on top of it. You’ve got shrubs growing on top of it.”
The district has said that the dirt and debris will be used to fill in the area once the school gets torn down. According to Lowe, while he was in contact with the school district multiple times to address the dirt piles, the district kept moving the date back for bringing the school down.
“The building’s still there,” he said. “The windows have been busted out several times, and when I did contact them about the windows, they took care of that.”
Lowe also said that several television sets and computer monitors litter the back of the building, along with a trash bin filled with trash from the building.
“Some of the neighbors look out across the field and all they see is debris,” Lowe said. “They pay taxes like everybody else, and they shouldn’t have to look at old, abandoned buildings and all the dirt, mud, shrubs, high grass and all that.”
According to Lima schools communications coordinator Beth Jokinen, the district is still early in the process of addressing the school and the dirt piles. The district has gone out for bids for asbestos abatement in the building, a necessary precursor to demolishing the structure. She also said that demolition of the building is expected to start in late July or early August.
Cleanup of the televisions and monitors should be completed by Friday, according to Jokinen.
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