In his last vote as a member of the school board, Steve Ridenhour, who fought to keep Davie High School where it is, led the vote for the school system to negotiate with a local business for the demolition of the school’s oldest buildings.

No one on the board put up a fight, as the vote was unanimous to negotiate with Fuller Architecture to handle the demolition planning for seven of the oldest buildings on the 50-year-old campus.

Mobile classrooms and smaller structures on the campus will also be demolished or removed.

Two firms, Walter, Robbs, Callahan and Pierce Architects, and Fuller, submitted qualification packets last month in response to the request for qualifications that was advertised in September. Board chair Chad Fuller told the board they were to make their decision based on qualifications, not cost.

He said the board has had experience with both firms but that Fuller Architecture (no relation to Chad Fuller) has worked “extensively at that existing campus (Davie) and done all the renovations to the Cooleemee Elementary School’s cafeteria, as well as other projects. The school system has had good experiences with both.”

Ridenhour, a local businessman who will leave the board and retire from his job as an insurance agent next month, said, “I would like to see us use Fuller. They are a local company and they employee Davie County people.”

Board members Barbara Owens and Carol Livengood agreed, with Livengood saying Fuller was her first choice and that he (John Fuller) has an “an investment in this community.”

Superintendent Dr. Darrin Hartness will negotiate a contract with Fuller and present it to the board for their consideration at the Dec. 6 meeting.

The project is expected to begin next August and be completed by the end of 2017.