Baldwin’s Wallace Building is being demolished and rebuilt, bringing short-term inconveniences for some sports teams and SHIM, but it will add community spaces like an indoor track.
The building was constructed in the 1950s, according to Supt. Dr. Randal Lutz, and it used to serve as a school for the ninth and tenth grades.
For some time, the Baldwin Borough Library operated there. Now, that area is used by the South Hills Interfaith Movement for many of their programs, and it is a space for Baldwin baseball, softball, and wrestling teams to practice in.
However, after years of discussion, the Baldwin-Whitehall School District is finally demolishing and rebuilding the Wallace Building.
“It is just simply falling apart,” Lutz said. “And it’s such an eyesore for those who live in that neighborhood, and it’s so beyond repair.”
The building has excess asbestos, faulty ceilings, issues with heating, leaks, and rat infestations, making the renovation required, Lutz said.
There are plans to possibly make it in part a public community recreation center.
“I’ve been in conversation with Baldwin Borough and (their) officials,” Lutz said. “They’re very interested in collaborating with the school district on a recreation center.”
The plans for the recreation center include spaces for senior citizens and areas for community athletics. The latter will include gymnasiums for community basketball, volleyball, and similar sports. Lutz said an indoor running track is a top priority.
“Baldwin High School has a fantastic indoor track program, but there’s nowhere to practice,” Lutz said.
Indoor track students are looking forward to getting a new space dedicated to practice.
“In the winter, the runners sometimes have to practice in the high school, and the throwers and jumpers practice at Wallace,” junior Nolan Geary said. “The addition of an indoor track facility would benefit a lot.”
The renovation is scheduled to start as soon as the maintenance equipment housed there is moved to a new building. After that, the process is estimated to take at least two years.
The programs currently running in the building, however, will soon need to find a new location to operate.
Youth Director Mary Pannier said SHIM knew they wouldn’t stay in the building when they signed the lease seven years ago. Still, they are struggling to find a new location that is accessible for current students attending, who are from the Baldwin, Whitehall, and Brentwood communities.
The organization’s issues with transportation will get worse if the new location they eventually find is farther away.
“We have a 14-passenger van and a minivan, and we only have one driver,” Pannier said.
The organization will continue to look for a suitable location as the demolition of the Wallace Building approaches. Pannier says SHIM does not plan to cut any programs.
Junior Bronika Timsina has been involved with SHIM since she was born and has witnessed it in several stages. Her parents and other adults also benefit from the many support initiatives they have for adults.
“SHIM has been a crucial part of my identity for as long as I can remember. They have helped my family adjust to a new country as immigrants,” Timsina said. “I went to their preschool program and have been going to their after-school programs my whole life.”
Aside from SHIM, Baldwin sports teams would also need to find a new place to practice for the time during the demotion and rebuilding process.
“We have a really nice facility in the back with a lot of useful things that can help our team develop and get better,” junior golfer Michael Qualick said. “It was very vital for our team to practice.”
Baldwin wrestling also practices in the Wallace Building and will need a new location.
“We used the gym to practice,” junior wrestler Donovan Kaecher said. While the building is doable for the team, a remodeling with an actual room dedicated to the sport would be beneficial for the team, he said.
Because the building housed so many programs, there were sometimes scheduling conflicts regarding the gym.
Lutz said that the demolition and construction project would mean temporarily moving school programs.
“During the period of time between when the building would be demolished and when the new structure would be opened, we will have to relocate programs to other facilities,” Lutz said. “That could include any of our five school buildings and/or off-site locations.”
