Correspondent photo / Robert Hayes Generation X Contractors LLC began demolishing the South High Fieldhouse earlier this week. The well-known fieldhouse at 1840 Erie St. opened in 1940 and was used by Youngstown State University, then Youngstown College, and South High School, which closed in 1993, for basketball games and numerous other events.

YOUNGSTOWN — Demolition began earlier this week on the long-shuttered South High Fieldhouse.

Crews from Generation X Contractors LLC had the building almost completely down as of Wednesday afternoon.

Youngstown’s Board of Control hired the Youngstown company for $113,876 to abate and then demolish the fieldhouse. Generation X submitted the lowest of 10 proposals for the job, with bids opened March 7. It was also less than half of the estimated cost for the work.

The city’s estimate for the project was $262,180. Of the 10 proposals, five came in under that amount and five were above it.

The entire demolition should be finished by July, said Charles Shasho, the city’s deputy director of public works.

The well-known fieldhouse at 1840 Erie St. opened in 1940 and was used by Youngstown State University, then Youngstown College, and South High School, which closed in 1993, for basketball games and numerous other events. The fieldhouse also hosted other activities and shows, but it hasn’t been used in about 15 years and has fallen into disrepair.

City council on Dec. 4 voted to appropriate $301,000 from the city’s demolition fund for the work and agreed to use $38,817 as the city match to a state grant for planning, inspection and construction administration services. Council voted Feb. 19 to seek proposals to demolish the fieldhouse.

The state grant for abatement and demolition is $225,138, so the city won’t use all of it for the fieldhouse project.

After the fieldhouse is demolished, the city will declare the property surplus and sell the site to the Valley Legends Stadium Consortium, which is part of Valley Christian Schools, for the Mahoning County auditor’s appraised value of $64,460.

The group has proposed to spend $9 million to construct a 3,000-seat stadium with a turf football field and track in two phases. Valley Christian is working to raise money for the project and expects to break ground in the summer to have the facility ready by spring 2026.