RECONSTRUCTING VANDALIZED COMPLEX\Teens to hone building skills in Palmdale.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Daily News Staff Writer

In dual-purposed program aimed at providing decent affordable housing and training youths for jobs, 30 students from Highland and Palmdale high schools will rebuild a vandalized four-unit apartment complex.

The complex, built in 1973 and vacant for at least six years, has been "trashed," as the students described it. The windows are broken out and boarded up with wood planks. Glass shards litter the soiled carpeting. Vandals have punched holes into the walls.

"Me and my dad have done construction together. I wanted to gain experience," said Highland junior Chris King, 16, one of the youths who will spend three hours every weekday at the site. "It's going to be fun. It's going to give us experience in pretty much every area."

In the past two years, students in the high school district's Regional Occupation Program have built two houses. As the market in new home construction has waned, the projected labor market demand for construction is in remodeling and renovation, a district report said.

"The program gives students entry-level job skills in construction, and it also teaches them work ethic," said Bruce Tourville, the ROP instructor from Highland High School. "They are in class learning and then they go out to the job to get on-the-job training."

The $146,000 project, a partnership between the Antelope Valley Union High School District and the city of Palmdale, is expected to be completed by June.

The students and about 40 others attended the project's groundbreaking Thursday in front of the complex in the 500 block of East Avenue Q-4.

The type of work students will perform includes cleanup, tearing out and replacing drywall, installing insulation, and assisting the electricians and plumbers, Tourville said.

The students will spend three hours a day at the site, one hour during school and two hours after school, Tourville said.

Derrick Bishoff, 18, a Palmdale High School junior, said the work will give him skills in the construction field.

"I might consider this for a career. At least I'll have a background," Bishoff said.

The students will begin work today at the four-plex, where they will help contractor Michael R. Duncan Construction rehabilitate the building. The project is being paid for by city redevelopment funds.

The building was donated to the city by the federal government's Resolution Trust Corporation, which takes over the assets of failed savings and loans, said Stephen McNally, the city's housing coordinator.

"The walls are damaged to the point that we have to gut the interior," McNally said. "The heating and air conditioning all have to be replaced."

Upon completion of the project, the property will be sold to a nonprofit housing organization to manage as an affordable housing unit.

"It ought to be a pretty good party," said Randall Coker, the project manager with Duncan. "I'm looking forward to it."

Neighbor Linda Feigley, 46, said the four-plex was an eyesore and is glad something is being done to rehabilitate the building.

"It would look a whole lot better. It's better to have it filled," Feigley said.

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Photo (1--color) Derrick Bishoff looks through a hole in wall as he and Joe Baldwin of Highland High access damage to the building they will reconstruct. (2--color) A combined team of Palmdale and Highland high school students will repair this vandalized four-plex. Jeff Goldwater/Daily News