Reinhard Demolition Scheduled to Begin Next Week

The demolition of the former Reinhard School in Hellertown is finally at hand, borough officials announced recently.

At Hellertown Borough Council's Nov. 21 meeting, engineer Bryan Smith told council the contractor for the demolition project--Madonna Enterprises--is scheduled to assume control of the site as of Dec. 1. 

The demolition of the 1910 school and its 1950s addition is expected to take about four weeks, he said.

In a Nov. 23 letter to residents who live near Reinhard, Borough Manager Cathy Kichline explained that the brick addition is scheduled to be demolished first.

"Beginning the first week of December, the contractor...will begin mobilization and site preparation work," the letter stated.

Among the safety precautions that will be in place during the work period are the following:

• Steps along Magnolia Road will be closed.
• A fence will be installed around the perimeter of the demolition zone, with site access restricted to the contractor.

A limited amount of parking along Main Street to the north and south of East Saucon Street will also be restricted in order to facilitate the movement of equipment and machinery to the demolition site.

Access to the recreational fields to the east of the school will be provided by a gate opening, according to the letter.

Residents with questions or concerns about the project are advised to call at 610-838-7041.

The school, which is located at Northampton Street and Magnolia Road, has been vacant since 2006, when it was last used by Second Chance Academy to house a charter school for troubled youth.

Borough officials studied various options for the building's reuse, but in 2009 determined that rehabilitating the asbestos-contaminated structure would be cost prohibitive.

There is currently no definitive plan for reuse of the site, but any proposal will have to fulfill a public need in order to be approved. 

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