![]() It’s a huge liability for taxpayers, because the school district still owns it. When the group agreed to leave, even firefighters told me they would not go into the crumbling building-even though neighbors have reported seeing fires set inside here countless times. Police told KIRO-7 News they would not step inside the building without full hazmat gear. In November of 2020, the Gault Middle School building was suddenly the focus of headlines when a homeless advocacy group broke through chains and boards and moved a group of people inside who needed shelter from freezing temperatures. It is really unsafe,” said Tacoma Police spokesperson Wendy Haddow. “The building basically is not fit for human habitation. The interior is so filled with mold and asbestos, it’s been deemed too hazardous to even breathe the air. Every boarded up entrance we saw shows the burned evidence of arson attempts. According to neighbors, the school has declined from just being a huge empty eyesore, to dangerously deteriorating, vandalized and even looted. It’s been for sale ever since, and the site of several great ideas with detailed plans, but every plan has been scrapped when available funds faced the reality of the price tag for remediation, demolition and renovations.Īll of my middle school experiences were here! I loved this school,” said DeMarcus Clark, who says he’s sickened when he sees what his old proud school has become. And the thing is, that place used to be really impressive.”Īfter serving generations of students the Gault Middle School has been empty since 2009, when the Tacoma Public School District made decisions based on shifting numbers of students. It’s killing property values, and nobody is hearing us. “It’s just dangerous, and cops won’t go in there when people break in. “It’s more than an eyesore,” said a neighbor, who has owned a home across the street from the school for three decades. The deteriorating building also stands on a hilltop with stunning views of Mount Rainier. Homeless advocates hoping to use the space for shelter have been told exposure to the dangers are potentially extreme. At first glance, the exterior of the 96-year-old empty Gault Middle School building appears to be in serious disrepair, but those who have seen the inside report a hazardous, crumbling “hellscape,” where grass grows in the interior, ceilings have caved-in, and the air is so saturated with mold and asbestos particles, it’s been deemed too dangerous for a human to breathe, unless protected with a respirator and a hazmat suit.
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