Old Ritzville High School demolished

RITZVILLE - The old Ritzville High School came down last week, more than a century after its first section was built. The end came after damage, especially the loss of sections of the roof, made the building unsalvageable.

But exterior brick and interior timbers are left after the demolition, and the Ritzville City Council will decide today what to do about inquiries for the material, Ritzville City Clerk Kris Robbins said.

"We deemed it a dangerous building," Robbins said. In May city officials filed a request in Adams County Superior Court to declare the property in receivership, she said, with a private party waiting to purchase it. But the purchase fell through. "Instead of waiting any longer, the city just took over as the buyer," she said.

Robbins estimated the demolition has cost the city about $47,000, and the legal action about $30,000.

The central portion of the building was built in about 1901, she said, with expansion prior to 1940. Robbins said she's been told 1927 or 1937. The class of 1982 was the last to graduate from the building, she said.

The building, which is located in a residential area, was purchased with the idea of turning it into apartments, but that didn't work out, she said. The building has been empty for about 15 years, Robbins said.

In that time the roof deteriorated, she said, and some of the support collapsed, causing cracks in an exterior wall. A small fire near the site alerted city officials to the extent of the damage, she said, and they decided to take action.

The demolition price includes the cost of removing the debris, she said. The land will be the property of the city.

City officials have received inquiries about selling some of the land, Robbins said. The city has the option of selling the land for current value or setting a minimum price, she said. Because the property is in a residential area, it will be redeveloped as housing, rather than a business or a new school, she said

People who want information about the leftover materials should contact city hall, 509-659-1930, Robbins said. City officials will notify potential buyers when the city council decides on the disposition of the materials, she said.