Local High School demolishes 100-year-old building

A piece of history was torn down this morning in El Centro.

The old business building at Central Union High School was over 100 years old but had to go to make way for a new project.

News 11 was as the demolition and learned what will take it’s place.

“This building has been here for over 100 years and actually was a junior college at one point before central taking it over and using it for classes for like I said the last 100 years,” said Craig Lyon.

This building was known as the business building and over the years many other subjects were taught like yearbook and P.E.”

We spoke to a teacher who taught in classroom BE-4 and shared her memories of her teaching days.

“I was teaching English and I was teaching an ESL class. It was old when I started teaching there, I believe it is over 100 years old, my understanding is that it used to be the IVC,” said Martha Hoopes, retired teacher.

The building was constructed in 1913 and will make way for a new stem building focusing on science, math, engineering and technology.

“It’s going to be a 30 classroom stem building, science, technology, engineering and math. Which is going to be wonderful for the students here, also it will have a robotics center in the bottom,” added Lyon.
Though the new building will make way for better learning, some are sad to see history go.

“A lot of people don’t respect the old buildings and I think it’s sad in this country that we sometimes tear those things down, we lose the architecture. There was a bad ventilation problem from the boys’ restroom right by my classroom door that was not real pleasant, but the room functioned,” said David Baker, Central High graduate.

Construction on the new stem building is set to begin in late fall, a project expected to take up to two years.