The choice is whether to assist a private developer invest $11.3 million to create 30 residential apartments, or allow the former Schwab school in Weatherly to further deteriorate and tear it down for $2 million.

The assistance to the developer will include a 10-year property tax abatement in the form of a Local Economic Revitalization Tax Assistance tax break.

Members of the Weatherly Area School Board spent 75 minutes Wednesday night listening to both sides of the issue.

Board President April Walters said the board won’t make a decision until next month’s board meeting.

Weatherly Borough Manager Harold Pudliner said the borough has given its permission, and the Carbon County commissioners are awaiting the decision of the school board.

The Alliance for Building Communities, a Lehigh Valley-based nonprofit group that develops such properties, wants to build 12 two-bedroom apartments, each 1,000 square feet, in the former Weatherly High School.

The plan also calls for tearing down an adjacent severely deteriorated gymnasium and building 18 one-bedroom apartments in the new 16,000-square-foot addition that would be connected to the other apartments in the 24,000-square-foot school by an elevator. Each apartment would be 600 square feet. The total construction cost is listed at $7.4 million.

That new structure would be built toward the rear of the lot, leaving room for parking 30 vehicles, along with an adjacent lot.

The former school, which is owned by Weatherly Borough, has been vacant since 1991, has been appraised at $105,000. The borough will donate the building to the developer.

Brad Fatzinger, ABC’s executive director, said the firm needs the LERTA in order to show “positive cash flow” with the $9.7 million in equity from RBC Capital Markets, and $858,232 in PennHomes funds.

Residents questioned whether a market existed for the apartments. Graysha Harris, the consultant for the project, said a market study and cost analysis was done.

She said the rents for the one-bedroom units will range from $837-$976 per month, and $836-$1,200 for the two-bedroom units. The one-bedroom units are meant for one to two people, and the two-bedroom units for two to four people. The rents can be subsidized, but not Section 8, Harris said.

Those who would live in the apartments would have an annual income of between $34,000 and $58,000 annually, Harris said,

Many of the residents questioned why the developer had to get a tax break, when they don’t, and instead taxes rise.

Board member Ryan Binder asked if ABC was the only developer interested in the building. Pudliner said there was a second, but ABC was first.

Pudliner estimated tearing the building down would cost $2 million.

Board members questioned who would live in the apartments. They said they were originally told it would be for the elderly. Harris said ABC believes the majority of the residents will be elderly.

State Sen. David Argall, R-29, spoke on behalf of the project, and said he has dealt with ABC with other projects in the past.

In a letter to Weatherly Area School Board dated March 18, Argall and state Rep. Doyle Heffley supported the LERTA.

“For far too many years, the structure has sat vacant and deteriorating, despite the best efforts of many local individuals,” the lawmakers said. “The current effort represents years of work and is our highest local community revitalization priority.”

The letter notes the borough has approved the tax abatement and that Spring Street, the area surrounding the Schwab school was designated blighted. “We are hopeful that you too see the benefits of removing blight from this 30-year vacant building that dominates the skyline of Weatherly borough. This project will not only save but repurpose the former school to support the community’s housing needs.”

If approved, construction could begin this year.

The letter concluded, “Without your positive action, we fear the building will meet its final demise.”