Study to be completed on old Wallace school building

WALLACE –– For the past few years, the Wallace School District has been exploring options related to the old Wallace High School building. However, a determination on the building’s fate may be on the horizon.  

According to Wallace School District Superintendent Todd Howard, the district is currently working with the Idaho Department of Environmental Quality (IDEQ) to secure funding for a hazardous material evaluation to be completed on the building, as well as potentially demolishing the building’s east academic wing.  

The building’s west academic wing was demolished during the construction of the new Wallace Jr./Sr. High School, which opened its doors in 2003.  

The building’s gymnasium, now known as the Civic Auditorium, has a longstanding history within the Silver Valley community, along with being on the Historic Register of Historic Places. Over the years, the building’s maintenance was neglected which has led to water damage, mold, and several other major issues.  

“The hazardous material (evaluation) requires material sampling from all building materials, some electrical, asbestos, exposed dirt, and fill material,” Howard explained. “Those samples are then sent to a lab for analysis.” 

The conditions of the building as well as the dated materials that were used in its construction present additional health risks if the building remains standing or is demolished.  

The Civic Auditorium would certainly be among the larger gathering places if it were to be renovated, capable of holding upwards of 3,000 people. The space potentially created by demolishing the east wing could become an outdoor public area.  

“Ultimately the board’s wish is to have the building or property revitalized into a usable space,” Howard said. “Their first choice would be to renovate the Civic Auditorium. If that were not financially possible then an open space area like a park. The intent of the board would be to transfer the responsibility of the facility to a second party through a lease or other arrangement.”  

In early 2023, Howard had some experts walk the grounds of the Civic Auditorium and in its current state, just to be remodeled and brought up to code was estimated to cost around $5.4 million – An amount that has likely increased over the past two years.  

Howard said the district hopes to have the hazardous materials evaluation completed by the early spring.