San Lorenzo School District Officials Developing Plans for Armory Site

Come Februrary, the on Ashland Avenue is history.

In a unanimous decision at last night's board meeting, board members voted to allow district officials to work with Architecture for Education and teachers and staff in developing design concepts for the site.

Architecture for Education has worked with the school district on numerous other projects such as the science labs an up-and-coming digital arts facility for San Lorenzo High.

Renovations made to the site may begin as early as June or July, according to Dr. Lowell Shira, the district's assistant superintendent for business.

Funding for the project comes from Measure O, the classroom and facilities imrpovement bond. The cost of the project has yet to be determined but will not exceed $7,500.

Shira said he has already been talking with the different parties.

"We don't know what we're going to build there," he said. "We're probably not looking for any building structure but what kind of hardscape or landscape to put in that area."

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.

The It also contains some hazardous substances such as lead and asbestos, according to officials.

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

The  in September 2010. In past months, the National Guard has removed underground storage tanks and other items from the site, which has made Superintendent Dr. Dennis Byas a bit uneasy about using site in general.

"We don't know what else they may have buried in the ground," he said during the meeting.