The demolition of the former Reinhard School on Northampton Street in Hellertown is scheduled to begin on Monday, Jan. 30, Borough Manager Cathy Kichline said in an email Thursday.

The demolition was originally expected to occur in 2011, but has been delayed a number of times, in part because sections of the building have required asbestos abatement that must be performed according to DEP guidelines.

In her email, Kichline said construction equipment will be moved into place by contractor Madonna Enterprises at the site on Friday morning.

The first section of the building to come down will be its gymnasium, which is part of a 1950s brick addition that extends east from Northampton Street, parallel to Magnolia Road.

Residents in the area are to receive notifications explaining that the work is about to commence.

The main Reinhard building was constructed in 1910 and was last used by the Saucon Valley School District in the late 1990s.

The complex was later sold to the borough for $1, with the stipulation that its reuse or redevelopment benefit the community. 

No plans currently exist for the redevelopment of the site, but a borough-led committee has been formed to investigate options and received public input.