Harrisburg’s $6.8M William Penn demolition enters next phase

The Harrisburg School District’s demolition process at the vacant William Penn High School property began its scheduled phase Tuesday, July 28, with the first work expected to focus on contractor staging and interior preparation rather than immediate large-scale structural teardown.

The approximately $6.8 million project was approved by the Harrisburg School Board and is expected to continue for several months. Depending on the work schedule, the project could extend into early 2027.

What happens first

Contractors are expected to spend several weeks preparing the former school site before exterior demolition begins. The district’s demolition FAQ, reported by TheBurg, says exterior demolition is anticipated in early September.

Work is expected on weekdays from approximately 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Crews will use tracked excavators and sledgehammers. The district says the project will not use explosives or wrecking balls.

Nearby residents may see construction equipment, staging activity, interior work and increased noise before the most visible portions of the building are removed.

Asbestos work and air testing

The district says internal asbestos removal has been completed. Exterior asbestos-related work involving window caulk and glazing is expected to continue through mid-August.

According to the district’s demolition notification, 136 air samples collected between June 2 and July 10 did not show asbestos levels above the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s permissible exposure limit of 0.1 fibers per cubic centimeter. The testing was conducted as part of the project’s monitoring process.

The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection is coordinating with the district and contractors on asbestos-related compliance. That coordination should not be read as a finding that all demolition work has been completed safely; the project remains active, and monitoring is expected to continue.

Dust, runoff and neighborhood impacts

The district says crews will use water spray to control dust. A silt sock fence and other site measures are planned to help control runoff and sediment during the work.

Residents near the property should expect weekday construction activity, equipment noise and changing site conditions as preparation moves toward exterior demolition. The district has provided a facilities-office contact for questions or concerns.

Some bricks and ornate masonry pieces may be preserved for community mementos or future use. However, the future of the broader 27-acre property has not been finalized. Athletic fields and other district uses have been discussed, but the selected project materials do not establish a final redevelopment plan.

For now, the immediate focus is demolition, asbestos-related work, air testing, site controls and compaction testing. The approved project cost covers those components, but it is not a final completed cost.

Sources

• Harrisburg School District demolition notification
• TheBurg demolition FAQ report