Trustees Discuss Former Toaz Building and Facilities Needs
After listening to an upbeat report about the condition of the building and the feasibility of reconverting it for use as an elementary school, the Huntington School Board is moving forward with its exploration of reacquiring the former Robert K. Toaz Junior High School.
Last month trustees sent in a team of architects and engineers and had a survey and appraisal done on the structure and property to determine its current value. Several trustees also toured the building. The structure was erected in 1938/39 by the Depression-era WPA with the cost split between the federal government and district residents. A 1969/70 addition added several thousand square feet of classroom space, as well as a bigger gymnasium.
The Huntington School District has seen slow but steady enrollment growth in recent years and modern day educational programs have created a space shortage in almost every building. Superintendent John J. Finello has begun meeting with individual school PTAs to discuss possible solutions to the district’s space crunch.
In recent years the district has conducted long-term enrollment and spatial needs studies, converted storage rooms to instructional space and constructed new classrooms at Woodhull Intermediate School. One plan to add significant space throughout the district was estimated a few years ago to cost more than $50 million dollars.
Huntington school officials have been keeping a close eye on a 26.5 acre tract of land located on East 5th Street in Huntington Station near the state armory that is currently zoned for 109 four and five bedroom homes. Avalon Bay is proposing a 530 unit complex there. Whatever is ultimately built, the district is expecting it to produce additional students and is preparing for the real possibility that more classrooms will be needed.
Last week, Roger Smith of Burton Behrendt Smith, an architectural and engineering firm, reviewed the current condition of the former Toaz Junior High School, referring to it as “a good old building.” Mr. Smith said reacquiring the building and updating it for reutilization as a public school would be less expensive than building a new school from scratch or adding onto the district’s other schools.
The former Toaz building is located at 300 Nassau Road. It is approximately 120,000 square feet in size and includes two parcels of land amounting to more than 11 acres.
Mr. Smith said it would not only be cheaper to add space by reacquiring Toaz, but converting it back to use as an elementary school would take less time than constructing additional space at other buildings in the district. When trustees asked why, Mr. Smith said that since Toaz wouldn’t be occupied, work could be conducted on a massive scale without being hampered by ongoing school activities or restricted to non-school hours.
If voters approve a reacquisition, the district would send its renovation plans to the State Education Department. It is estimated the Toaz renovations could take up to two years before the building is ready for occupancy by students.
Trustees also discussed the cost of reacquiring Toaz and the work that would be required to bring it back on line. Mr. Smith said if the district can show a need for the space, significant state aid could be secured to underwrite a large percentage of the capital expenses. Mr. Finello said the district would also seek federal grants to help pay for some of the work.
Trustees previously retained the law firm of Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. to advise the district on developing long-term strategies for addressing its space requirements. The firm is now contacting the current owners of the former Toaz building to determine its availability.
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