SA announces plans for new athletic complex

By JEFF STITT

jstitt@yourmvi.com

A sporting facility in Glassport that’s more than 70 years old will cease being the athletic home for the South Allegheny Gladiators in the near future.

The school district released details Thursday about a new athletic complex it is creating on the high school/middle school campus on Washington Boulevard in Liberty Borough. The board also announced upgrades and repairs coming to its elementary school, which is less than 20 years old.

Superintendent Dr. Lisa Duval said the school board approved a $10 million bond issue in February to cover costs associated with the projects.

In a release Thursday, the district said South Allegheny Elementary School, which is located at 1707 Washington Blvd. near the Port Vue border, “has seen a need for repair shortly after its opening in January 2003, when cracks and separation began to develop in the foundation and walls of the building.”

In January 2020, SA settled for $4.5 million with companies involved in the construction of the school, according to the district, which said the settlement money has been dedicated to repairs and updates at the school. However, the district quickly determined $4.5 million wasn’t enough to fix the issues.

“Knowing a bond issue would need to be solicited in order to complete the elementary project was what prompted the district completing a comprehensive look at facility upgrades in general,” the district said in a prepared statement Thursday, adding that “low interest rates, partially as a result of the pandemic and its impact on finance nationally, along with a low debt service in place within the district currently, allowed for these projects to be combined under one umbrella.”

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