LAMBERTVILLE: Former high school to be razed

By John Tredrea, Special Writer
   LAMBERTVILLE — The long-out-of-use Lambertville High School building — last used by the graduating class of 1959 — is expected to be demolished soon, according to Mayor David Del Vecchio and city construction official, Ken Rogers.
   They’ll both be glad when that job is done.
   ”It’s a highly unsafe structure,” Mr. Rogers said Saturday. “We issued an order in September of 2011 that it had to be taken down.”
   Mr. Rogers said the city had to take developer Merrick Wilson, the owner of the school and some adjacent land, to court on the matter. He said Mr. Wilson could be fined up to the $4,000 for each week the building was left standing in spite of the order to take it down.
   Mr. Rogers said the amount of the fine would emerge from negotiations involving himself, the prosecutor and Mr. Wilson’s attorney.
   Mr. Rogers said he doesn’t know yet when the demolition will be done. “We don’t have a start-up date yet, but I do know some site work that needs to be completed before the actual demolition can take place has been done.”
   After Lambertville High School closed, students who would have attended it went to South Hunterdon Regional High School, which opened in 1959 and is still in operation. Students from West Amwell and Stockton attend that school in addition to students from Lambertville.
   Built in 1854, Lambertville High School was largely destroyed by a 1926 fire. It was rebuilt and remodeled the next year.
   After students stopped attending the school, it was used as an electronics retail outlet for several years.
   A 1992 fire destroyed most of the building’s interior.
   The city police department has long patrolled the school area regularly, as its condition makes exploring the structure unsafe, as well as illegal.
   POLICE DIRECTOR BRUCE COCUZZA said the abandoned high school site has caused multiple problems for years.
   ”The site has been a magnet for kids throughout the area because it was featured in a popular publication/website, ‘Weird New Jersey,’” the director said. “The article claims that the old high school is haunted, which naturally makes it an attraction to teens and 20-somethings seeking some entertainment.
   ”However, the building is totally dilapidated and unstable, making it very dangerous for anyone venturing inside Additionally, many young people who come to the site consume alcohol and/or use drugs. We get several calls a week for trespassers.
   ”This has been the case for at least the past 15 years and we have made numerous arrests for alcohol and drug violations as well as trespassing. The location is a burden on police resources and is considered a nuisance by area residents,” the director noted.
   The hilltop school building is on Washington Street.