ENP STAFF REPORTS
news@eastniagarapost.com

---

Vote tallies by ward as read to the media and  school board. (ENP STAFF PHOTO)

Voters of the Lockport City School District passed the sale of the former Washington Hunt Elementary School to business owner Bob Muscarella by a total 1,656 - 291.

Muscarella, owner of Ultimate Physique gym on Ann Street, will purchase the former school building for $65,000 with plans to move the gym there and expand it.

Today's vote was the second effort by the school district to sell the building to Muscarello. The first attempt failed by a vote of 805 - 772 on May 6.

Voting was closest in the 1st Ward, where the Washington Hunt building is, but at 177 votes for and 57 against, it wasn't exactly close even there. The 2nd Ward approved it 341 - 39, the 3rd Ward voted 109 - 25 in favor, the 4th Ward voted 207 - 41 in favor, and the 5th Ward voted 249 - 35 in favor. Outside the city, the vote was 573 - 94 in favor.

District officials say that the vote brought out a higher number of taxpayers to weigh in on the issue than the first vote did, which coincided with a budget vote. A back-and-forth campaign between supporters and opponents raised interest in the proposed sale.

One poll worker dropping off ballots at the Board of Education building was overheard saying "we never even got a chance to eat." Polls were open from noon to 9 p.m. and voting was reported as steady throughout the day.

There was a minor glitch in voting at one of the district's five voting locations as the machine at Anna Merritt Elementary School was not functioning at the start of the day. The malfunction was quickly fixed, though, according to district officials.

Opponents had said that Muscarella's offer was too low — the building is assessed at $195,000 — and that the district hadn't done enough to market the school to prospective buyers.

Muscarella was the only person to make a written offer following a 10-day notice of the district's intention to sell in the Lockport Union-Sun & Journal.

He said he hopes to begin construction as soon as possible and would like to open by the first of the year.

---

Get the daily East Niagara Post email update.
Send an email to news@eastniagarapost.com with "email update" in the subject line.