Binghamton’s MacArthur Elementary School Awaits Another Cleanup

It's déjà vu all over again at MacArthur Elementary School on Binghamton's South Side.

The once-beautiful black locust wood exterior on the $80 million building is generating a growing number of complaints because of ongoing discoloration.

The cladding's color was impressive when the school was being constructed less than a decade ago. But things took an ugly twist just a few years after the building opened.

A Binghamton City School District official four years ago told WNBF News the problem was due to "unanticipated weathering." He said the trouble was linked to the school's "close proximity to the highway."

At the time, the district representative said the black locust wood was expected to "develop a consistent gray patina over time."

In response to the blighted-looking black blotches that developed on the siding, the district hired a company to do a "deep cleaning" to address the problem.

The cleanup project in the summer of 2021 cost about $65,000. Crews spent three weeks using hot water under high pressure to do the job.

In recent weeks, people driving past the school on Vestal Avenue or the Vestal Parkway have started complaining again about the building's appearance.

A school district spokesperson on Friday told WNBF News that a company called "Developmax" is scheduled to clean the exterior of the MacArthur complex this summer.

The district also has purchased a "high temp/high pressure washer that will enable our maintenance team to clean areas that need attention on their own going forward."

The spokesperson said the sealant that was applied when the siding was installed is "causing the wood to hold water." When black locust wood is sealed, it "holds moisture and results in build up of mildew."

With the planned summer washing project and regular maintenance, the district hopes to remove the remaining sealant to allow the wood to "breathe" and age naturally.

After the 2021 cleaning work, a school district spokeswoman said a new maintenance schedule was being considered that would involve "more frequent but less extensive cleaning that can be done by our own staff."

WNBF NEWS VIDEO: A close-up look at MacArthur Elementary School on the South Side of Binghamton.

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Contact WNBF News reporter Bob Joseph: bob@wnbf.com or call (607) 545-2250. For breaking news and updates on developing stories, follow @BinghamtonNow on Twitter.