Mar. 2—Crawford Tech is nearing completion on acquisition of the site of a nearby auto mechanic business that will allow the vocational school to relocate several of its programs.
Conneaut, Crawford Central and PENNCREST School Board members have approved the purchase of 20763 Old Ellis Hill Road, previously the location of Integrity Complete Auto Repair. The sale, which includes an undeveloped 1-acre lot adjacent to the garage site, comes at a cost of $545,000, according to Kevin Sprong, the school’s director. The garage is located less than a quarter-mile from the entrance to Crawford Tech on the opposite side of Route 27.
The sale is pending a “due diligence” period during which environmental testing is being performed on the site and renovations necessary to bring the building into compliance with requirements for public school facilities are being assessed, Sprong said. The garage site is currently owned by Luca and Tammy Palanca of Meadville, according to online county records.
“We have an April 17 closing scheduled,” Sprong said, “assuming all goes well with the testing.”
The final price tag for the plan will be higher, according to Sprong.
“Part of the due diligence process is taking a look at what the building will need to actually put students in there,” Spring said. “In order to bring it up to what we need for it to be an educational facility will involve additional costs.”
The school’s need to add space comes in large part due to the Conneaut School District’s planned closure of Conneaut Valley Middle School at the end of the current school year. Since 2017, the middle school has housed a Crawford Tech satellite welding program with space for 10 students in morning and afternoon sessions.
To make room for an additional 10 students during both daily sessions at Crawford Tech’s Meadville campus, Sprong plans to relocate the automotive technology and diesel technology programs from the main campus to the Integrity location that is being acquired.
Tentative plans call for the vacated automotive technology space will house the incoming welding students adjacent to the existing welding shop while the former diesel technology shop will be used by the school’s maintenance department, which currently lacks needed room.
In announcing the scheduled closing date to Crawford Central School Board members last week, board President Kevin Merritt was optimistic about seeing students in the garage facility as soon as the next school year. Merritt chairs the joint operating committee, which oversees Crawford Tech and is made up of members from Conneaut, Crawford Central and PENNCREST school boards.
“Things are moving along,” Merritt said, “and we’ll have diesel mechanics and auto mechanics across (Route) 27 hopefully by mid-semester this fall and, if not, second semester next year.”
Mike Crowley can be reached at (814) 724-6370 or by email at [email protected].