The Bay School Community Arts Center has announced that it will demolish the old L.M. Callis home that sits on a one-acre parcel of land behind the center. The Bay School purchased the property last March to allow for future expansion of the facility.

Kelsey Desmond, chairman of the Bay School Board of Directors, said that the decision was a difficult one that came after a year of research, analysis and deliberation by board members. She said that inspections of the building had painted a picture of a structure in need of extensive repair and restoration—work that, even if the Bay School could afford it, would not result in a building that would meet the school’s needs.

The old house almost certainly contains asbestos that would have to be dealt with, said Desmond, and it has water damage, holes in the roof, broken windows and a non-compliant plumbing system. Floors throughout the house are not level, the framing isn’t up to code and there is little insulation. In i...