National Guard Representatives Intend to Demolish Armory Building

National Guard representatives unveiled their plans on demolishing the armory building on Ashland Avenue during a meeting with officials earlier this month.

During the Oct. 5 school district meeting, National Guard representatives outlined the plan, which includes the demolition of the structure and removal of hazardous materials, followed by a test of the site to ensure the area is "clean," district officials said. 

and is in the process of terminating the lease and permanently leaving the site, officials said.

While discussion has been ongoing for several months regarding the disposition of the building, some interest has also been expressed by school and community groups for future use of the armory building. 

Currently, the building does not meet "Field Act" requirements for school building seismic safety and the building contains some hazardous substances such as lead and asbestos, officials said.

Bringing the building up to code would likely cost millions of dollars for an investigation and subsequent structural improvements to secure the site as a public school building.

The National Guard has been in the process of removing underground storage tanks and other items from the site. Officials said the demolition of the building would absolve the military of risk exposure. 

The district has leased a portion of the site to the state of California for the National Guard since 1948. In the early 1950s, the state constructed the armory building on the site and subsequently added other improvements, officials said.

An exact timeline for the project is in development.