There was opposition to the loss of PA's individual identity, but both student bodies eventually moved into a shared building in 1984, christened the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School.

Many well-known performers were trained at the school, such as Eartha Kitt, Liza Minnelli, Jennifer Aniston, Ving Rhames, Lorraine Toussaint, and Suzanne Vega.

These plans evolved to joining the student body with that of the High School of Music & Art (“M&A”) in a newly constructed building.

In 1973, ground was again broken for a new building at Lincoln Center, but New York City's budget crisis forced all construction to be suspended until the early 1980s.

Macchiarola had overseen the "marriage into one single Fiorello La Guardia house" of sister schools PA and M&A in the first place.

Mr. Gordon's next attempt to preserve PA was to enlist the help of an architect, Sheldon Licht (who was also a member of the parent's association), in beginning the process to declare the school building a New York City Landmark.

In June 1984, the last graduating class from the "old building" departed; in September of that year, current and incoming students moved to the Lincoln Center site.