Friday, January 21, 2000
Still hope for fire-ravaged school
BY RACHEL MELCER
The Cincinnati Enquirer
AURORA, Ind. — Beneath a layer of snow and ice, burned wood and charred fixtures, officials see hope for the old Aurora Middle School.
Mayor Richard Ullrich, a couple of council members and developers sloshed Thursday through the building that had been ravaged by a 10-hour fire a day earlier.
And, based on their layman's tour, Mr. Ullrich said the building where generations of Aurora residents graduated between 1934 and 1998 might be able to be saved.
If engineering reports being done over the next few days agree, the building will still be converted into senior citizens apartments and a community YMCA.
“Initially there was sadness. But after our meetings today, I'd just like the citizens to know there's reason for optimism,” Mr. Ullrich said Thursday.
“It's not as bad as we thought. If you were out there yesterday watching the flames leap out of the building, you would think there wasn't much that could be done.”
Dozens of former students stood along U.S. 50 Wednesday, swapping school-days memories as they watched firefighters from six departments battle the blaze. On Thursday morning, many called the school district and city offices to check on its status.
Aurora fire officials said they did not know the cause of the fire, which began near the basement boiler room; but they did not suspect arson.
Although the building had been shut since the last day of classes in spring 1998, work on its rebirth was just getting under way.
The Greater Cincinnati YMCA-Dearborn County Branch started holding youth league basketball games two months ago in its historic wooden gym. And developers were about to convert the rest of the school into 34 affordable apartments, to be managed by the Area 12 Council on Aging and Community Services Inc.
Now the gym is a hollow brick shell. A new roof burned off of the middle wing, which dates to 1958. But the flames were kept from damaging the newest section, built in 1969.
“We went so far and then we went backwards in just a few hours,” said Sandie Cheek, a Dearborn County YMCA Committee of Management member, who was overseeing the project. “It does set you back. But on the other hand ... we don't stop.”
The YMCA will try to find space in churches and other buildings to temporarily house recreational programs, she said.
“A lot of people put a lot of work in this project. ... So when you look at (the fire), that's kind of a letdown to something that had momentum,” Area 12 Council Housing Director Ken Nelson said Thursday.
“But the resiliency of the team was obvious this morning. Everyone said they are still committed.”
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