Debris at the corner of McKinley Avenue and Charles Street in the city of Jamestown is set to be cleaned up this week, said Crystal Surdyk, city director of development. P-J photo by Jordan W. Patterson

The clean up of debris left behind from a September demolition of the former School No. 5 building in the city of Jamestown is expected to begin this week.

Crystal Surdyk, city director of development, told The Post-Journal she recently spoke with the contractor handling the process who confirmed the clean-up would begin.

“They assured me they were heading there early (this week),” Surdyk said.

The building, which served as the home to the United Pentecostal Church for a time as well, was brought down on Sept. 21 after city officials determined the structure was susceptible to collapse and executed an emergency demolition.

Since the demolition of the Italianate-style structure built around 1880, debris has remained at the corner of McKinley Ave. and Charles Street. Orange fencing can be seen around the property with asbestos warning signs posted throughout the site. Surdyk said the delay was mostly due to regulations and scheduling “because we only have three certified contractors in the area that can do controlled demolitions.”

The building, designed by L.P. Coates, was recognized by city residents for its two, three story-towers on the northeast and northwest corner which was described as providing a “charming view of the town in all directions” in an article published in the Nov. 15, 1878 Jamestown Daily Journal. Additionally, the building featured two front entrances that opened into a vestibule with accessible cloak rooms and the 40-by-20-foot school room.

Prior to its demolition, the building was sold through the Chautauqua County tax foreclosure process, but was quickly demolished after being deemed unsafe.

“The are a couple of properties that are close by, and we decided it was in the interest of public safety to order an emergency demolition,” Vince DeJoy, former city director of development, said at the time after bricks had fallen from the building earlier that Saturday.

The school that operated in the Jamestown Public Schools system served students in grade one through six and an addition was built near the rear of the property around 1893 to accommodate a growing population.

As for future plans for the lot, Surdyk said that has yet to be determined.

“There are a number of things we might do,” she said. “We could always offer it to neighbors that might be interested in purchasing it. That would be great because it would go back on the tax roll.”

She added that if a local resident doesn’t purchase the property, the city could look into redeveloping the lot.