(Future Building for Recreation & Learning Center Collapses Prematurely)

In 2005, St. John United Holy Church transferred ownership of the Davis Supply Building to the Gussie M. Walker Community Outreach Organization with plans to build G.M. Walker’s Recreation & Learning Center.  This recreation & learning center was to house our current after-school tutoring program for the underprivileged youth of our community. The basement of St. John United Holy Church, where we are currently located, could only house approximately 40 youth plus the many tutors at one time. The construction of this center would have cost us $900,000; therefore, we put those plans on hold until we were financially ready.   On August 6, 2007, ready or not, the Davis Building collapsed.  Still not financially ready because , we have to raise enough funds to have the remainder of the site demolished.   (See COLLAPSE article below)

Courtesy LAURE CIOFFI

VINDICATOR PENNSYLVANIA BUREAU

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A portion of Moravia Street had to be closed as debris from a fallen building was removed.

Emergency workers were called to the former Davis Supply Co. building at the corner of Moravia and Reynolds streets on the city's South Side at 3:24 a.m. Monday.

The one-story, flat-roofed building had collapsed, likely from age and the force of recent rains, said New Castle firefighters.

The building had been vacant for some time and was most recently being used for storage by the Gussy Walker Community Outreach Organization, a nonprofit group that offers tutoring at the neighboring St. John's United Holy Church.

J.R. Hardester, Lawrence County assessor, said the building was bought in 1995 by St. John's United Holy Church from the Lawrence County Tax Claim office. The church sold it in 2005 to the outreach group, he said.

Eugene Barber, vice president of the group, could not be reached to comment Monday.

Firefighters said there were no utilities in the building and when the roof collapsed, the walls were pushed outward.

Emergency workers had to wait for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation to clear the debris before opening the road to traffic at 6 a.m. Moravia Street is maintained by PennDOT.