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HAMILTON — Demolition of the old Eastview Pool has begun to make way for one of eight new elementary buildings in the Hamilton City School District.

The school district obtained the land around the pool from the city in a swap for two parcels it owned.

The city still owns an acre and a half of land next to the Crawford school site "so that if they want to build a pool, they have that option," said board member Larry Bowling.

The school's parking lot is positioned so that it can be co-used, Bowling said.

Bridgeport, Ridgeway, Fairwood and Linden elementaries are under construction and are scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.

Site work has began on the Brookwood, Crawford Woods, Highland and Riverview sites, which are scheduled to open in 2010.

Hamilton city officials transferred the 12-acre park at Hensley and Hancock to Hamilton City Schools in October 2007.

In exchange, the city will get 10 acres at the end of Smalley Boulevard and the land where Van Buren Elementary School now stands off Lincoln Avenue.

City Parks and Recreation Director Bob Harris said there are no immediate plans for the land off Smalley Boulevard, but said the park's department had been maintaining it for some time.

According to the resolution passed by council last August, the district agreed to demolish Van Buren and the Eastview Pool, maintain a conservation area in the north end of Eastview Park and to keep a playground open to the public on weekends.

Council had said it wants the Van Buren site to become a city park once the school is razed. However, Harris said there were no official dates for that yet.

Bowling said the state will share the cost of demolishing Van Buren, estimated at $200,000. The district likely will have to foot the bill for razing the old pool, estimated between $25,000 and $40,000, he said.

Staff Writer Joshua Rinaldi contributed to this report.

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