A Pittsburgh neighborhood is fighting against the sale of a former elementary school

PITTSBURGH — For more than a decade, Bon Air Elementary school has sat empty.

And for the past few months, neighbors have been asking Pittsburgh Public Schools not to sell the building.

On Wednesday, community members and City Councilman Anthony Coghill meet to talk about their desire to have the former school torn down and the footprint turned into a green space. The district plans to build a multi-unit apartment building.

“These are all single family homes,” said Bon Air resident John Bohrer. “We don’t have any apartment buildings. We don’t have any retail. It’s a cul-de-sac neighborhood on top of a mountain. We don’t have an apartment building here, just a little park.”

The board of directors for Pittsburgh Public Schools approved the sale of the building to Gregory Development for $55,000 in April.

“It’s sad they sold the school for $55,000, that goes for less than these homes here,” said Sarah Steele. “So I don’t believe they had the best interest of the community at heart.”

Coghill said he plans to hold a community meeting with the developer. Channel 11 tried to get in touch with the developer on Wednesday but was unsuccessful.

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A spokesperson for Pittsburgh Public Schools said the cost of keeping and maintaining empty buildings makes up a significant portion of the district’s budget, carrying a significant financial burden.

The spokesperson also said the district is not in the position to rescind the sale of the facility.

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