Plan to convert former Canonsburg Middle School progressing
The former Canonsburg Middle School is being converted into a community center.[/caption]Plans to convert the former Canonsburg Middle School along East College Street in the borough into a community center are moving forward.
That plan, the brainchild of the eight-member Canonsburg Educational & Cultural Institute (CECI), is starting to take shape, with the hope of having the initial phase open and operational in 2025.
CECI is a nonprofit formed in 2021 whose mission is to provide enriching cultural opportunities to the communities through outreach and related programs. Among those involved with CECI are Lisa Scarmazzi, Canonsburg’s director of economic development, and her husband, Paul, CEO of Scarmazzi Homes; Mike Melone, founder of Melone Advertising Group in Canonsburg, Attorney Eugene Tempesta, John Dezik, owner of Printscape, and Pete Moniodes, former school board president. Jay Romano, CFO of the Pittsburgh Ballet, was a member before his death in 2022.
The Canon-McMillan School District approved the sale of the property to CECI last July. CECI has an exclusive sales agreement with the district for the building and hopes to take ownership soon.
“In essence, the day we decide we’re going to own it we will,” said Tony Colaizzo, president of CECI. He declined to reveal the asking price of the building.
Since then, a feasibility study and market analysis of the gymnasium have been performed, and an architect was hired to evaluate the building’s condition. A grant writer was hired, and theater experts from New York and Los Angeles were consulted.
“We got some really good feedback on the condition of the building and what we needed to do so that we can prioritize activities,” Colaizzo said. “We started off with what needs to be done to get it up to code and what are the things that are really important to get us off the ground.”
The former Canonsburg Middle School opened in 1967 as Canon-McMillan Junior High School and continued serving students until January 2023, when a new middle school opened off Route 519.
Institute members envisioned the former middle school campus as an anchor to provide resources, programs, and services to support unmet needs for the community and surrounding areas.
“We view it as a continuation of the economic development of Canonsburg and an opportunity to provide something that doesn’t currently exist,” he said. “We want to provide a higher level of program than what currently exists. We want to ensure that anybody who wants to participate in activities there can do so.”
Colaizzo said the plan includes converting the 860-seat auditorium – once the venue for middle school plays and spring musicals – into a theater, turning the gymnasium into a family recreational center, making the cafeteria into an area for restaurants and upgrading the classrooms to be used for adult education and children services, starting with day care and preschool. The rest of the building, Colaizzo said, will be available for those with a passion to share it with others.
“When the vision we have is realized, we expect it to be a first-class facility,” Colaizzo said.
Colaizzo, who lives in Nottingham Township, was once a student at the school, and has memories of his time there.
“It’s all good,” he said. “Back then I walked to school, like three blocks. It was the first time I was out of my neighborhood, first time I was with kids out of my sphere. At the time, it was a very modern building. It was fun.”
Those memories and his interest in Canonsburg served as an impetus for the project.
“We’re excited about the opportunity to help Canonsburg grow,” Colaizzo said.
The venture comes with a price tag that Colaizzo said is in the range of $20 million for the entire project. A grant from Canonsburg’s Department of Economic Development covered the cost of hiring a group to handle strategic planning and prepare mission statements.
The group’s first structured fundraising meeting took place Thursday, as CECI looks to acquire more funding.
“We’ve applied for a number of grants, some of which we’re waiting on so we can get some start-up money and get rolling,” Colaizzo said. “We’re pretty close to the point where we know exactly what needs to be done to open the doors. We want to get that going.”
A gradual opening of amenities will provide a springboard for future features that is envisioned by the nonprofit.
“We know when we open we won’t be at the level we want to be because raising that kind of money is going to be difficult,” Colaizzo said. “But we know by getting it open and getting it rolling will help us garner support, and anything that is open will be a benefit to the community.”