Judge grants restraining order to group seeking to preserve school building

BEAUMONT -- Some people want to tear down the building which now houses South Park Middle School while others are fighting to keep it standing.

It's scheduled for demolition this summer as part of the Beaumont school district's $389 million bond issue.

Those in favor of keeping the building have the Beaumont Heritage Society on their side.

Today a judge granted a temporary restraining order to prevent the district from moving forward with demolition - at least until the judge can hold a hearing.

Attorneys say the district hasn't knocked down any walls or bulldozed anything yet. Workers have been doing asbestos remediation.

In a news conference Wednesday afternoon at the school, the Heritage Society explained its fight to keep the building standing.

"They state South Park new school. No demolition of South Park. This is what voters relied upon to make decisions voting on the bond," said attorney Michael Getz, who represents the Heritage Society.

Getz says the Beaumont Independent School District misled voters when it presented the $389 million bond issue.

"Once the bond was passed and the board got the money they decided they can do with it as they please," said Getz.

The Beaumont Heritage Society wants to preserve the former South Park High School building.

He and the engineer hired by BISD both agree that we as a society no longer build structures like South Park.

"Survived Hurricane Rita, Ike, Gustav, Carla - every hurricane since 1923. It still stands proud today."

Getz says the district has ignored a large group of people and petitions with the names of more than 2,500 people who are fighting to keep the building.

He says four hundred students attend the middle school and now the school district is planning to demolish the building.

He says it plans to spend more than $26 million to rebuild a new school in its place - one that will house 750 students.

Getz says they never got solid numbers on the cost difference between demolishing versus renovating the school.

"There has been no cost analysis," said Getz.

Getz says the building is eligible to become a National Historic Landmark. He believes the school should either be renovated or the building preserved for something else - but definitely not demolished.

"You just don't do that because you have to have a sense of where you came from in order to be whole as a person," said Getz.

The Heritage Society says the builidng doesn't have to be a school. It could be preserved for something else, like a police substation, loft apartments or a community center for town hall meetings.

The temporary restraining order lasts for two weeks.

A hearing is set for July 14.

At that point Judge Bob Wortham will decide whether to grant a temporary injunction.

The last step would be a permanent injunction.

Story filed earlier Wednesday afternoon

BEAUMONT -- KFDM News has learned a judge granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday to a group seeking to prevent the Beaumont school district from demolishing the old South Park High School building.

Judge Bob Wortham granted the TRO to the Beaumont Heritage Society.  Wortham told KFDM News he set a hearing for July 14.

The building is scheduled to be torn down this summer as part of the Beaumont school district's $389 million bond package.

As KFDM News first reported last week, the Heritage Society is seeking an injunction to try to preserve the building for its historical significance and prevent the district from tearing down the building. 

The group will meet Wednesday afternoon on the steps of the South Park school to outline its plans to save the building.

"We are not saying the building needs to be open as a school," Darlene Chodzinski, Executive Director of the Beaumont Heritage Society, told KFDM News.

"We are not trying to dictate what is done with the building.  We're just trying to stop it from being torn down."

Attempts to contact the superintendent and a board member were unsuccessful. BISD Assistant Superintendent Terry Ingram had no comment.

Judge Wortham told KFDM News one of the arguments that prompted him to grant the TRO is the Heritage Society's contention the district didn't follow proper guidelines for dealing with buildings deemed historic landmarks. 

But he says by granting the TRO he isn't ruling on the merits of the case.  Judge Wortham says the Heritage Society must offer facts in an attempt to prove its case in court during the scheduled July 14 hearing.