RIVERTON — The city isn't exactly rich with historic buildings — a few homes, an old bank that's now a nail salon and an old church.
It's no wonder, then, folks here are taking their time to decide what to do with the old Riverton Elementary School, now a city-owned community center.
Gut it and save the facade or tear it down and replace it anew? That's the question facing a newly formed committee whose goal it is to give voters a choice on the matter in this November's election.
"I am avowed to stay neutral on the issue," said Mayor Mont Evans. Preserving the history of a community is a good idea, he said, but he wants to leave the decision up to the community.
"To me, it has sentimental value," said Sheril Garn, community event and recreation director.
Garn attended the school at 12830 S. Redwood Road, but the 55,000 square-foot "big old school," now used for community meetings, dance recitals and senior-citizen gatherings, is underutilized and costly to maintain. Those who value historical buildings for their architectural value, she added, might not get misty-eyed to see the school replaced.
Past studies found it would take about $5 million to bring the building up to mechanical and seismic standards. Making it fully accessible to people with disabilities adds to that cost.
"The city has dumped a ton of money into it from a mechanical standpoint," said city administrator Mark Cram.
The school was built on 8.5 acres in six stages, beginning in 1925 and ending in 1971. Since becoming a community center, the city has had to update plumbing, heating and electrical services.
By being designated in 1996 as a historical structure by the Utah Historical Society, it benefited from funding for a new roof and air conditioning. A steering committee will be charged with determining the cost of further renovation and ongoing maintenance costs in a building where, according to Cram, the hallways are too wide and the old classrooms are too small to be used for anything else.
The current need, Garn said, is for center that has a theater with good acoustics, larger meeting rooms and an updated senior center. Although the city wouldn't build a new community center the same size, to do so would cost around $9 million in today's economy, Garn estimated.
E-MAIL: sspeckman@desnews.com