#OldSchool: Plans For Glick Site Drawing Some Protests

We dug around the internet to get some background information on the eventual demolition of Glick School in Marshalltown.- - - - - - - - - - - -

By Isabel Stewart
Marshalltown Times Republican

Glick Elementary School has evaded disappearing into a puff of demolition dust for over 10 years and now that it is to become a home for the mentally disabled, one neighbor to the school, Bob Backoff, is up in arms.

Bob Schubert, a member of the City Council, confirmed that the red brick and lime stone building, situated on Third Street, in Marshalltown, was closed down over a decade ago because of asbestos.

Despite the fact that Backoff believes the building is unsightly, he feels that unsupervised housing for the mentally disabled will be detrimental and could even mean certain death for anyone trying to sell their house.

He said it would without doubt affect property values.

“I have an adopted son who is mildly mentally disabled, and lives in Central Iowa Residential Services (CIRSI) supervised living accommodation,” Backoff said. “There is a beautiful plot of land next to CIRSI that has sat empty for more than a decade because no one wants to buy it. No one wants to live next to a home for the mentally disabled.”

According to the City Council, the building has been approved for demolition, asbestos removal and rebuilding. The owners of the property are Center Associates Housing Project (CAHP).

CAHP was not available for comment.

“The project will take one to two years to complete, “ Schubert said.

“The building has not been condemned, it doesn’t meet dilapidated building ordinance, it is structurally sound, the problem is the asbestos that is what makes it uninhabitable,” Scott Riemenshchneider, building inspector, said.

Backoff explained that the old section of the school should be saved as it was made of wood. Some may even conjecture that the building, built in 1902, has a historical significance.

“The asbestos is only in the floor tiles,” Backoff said. “Who cares about the floor?”

“The problem is the building has not been maintained,” he said.

Schubert confirmed that the asbestos is only in the floor tiles.

“What I want to know is how much is the property going to cost us in property taxes, whether is stays or goes,” Backoff continued.

Inside of the building there is graffiti all over the walls, many of the windows have been smashed out and there are food wrappers all over the floors.