“The asbestos removal is complete at three of them and nearly complete at the other,” he said. “Temporary fencing has gone up to secure the sites. They won’t all be coming down at the same time.”
When they do, however, the district will continue its practice of putting piles of bricks aside for souvenirs, according to district spokeswoman Joni Copas.
“We awarded contract bids for the demolition of those buildings near the end of last (calendar) year,” Boerke said.
When the sites are cleared, the land will be put up for bid in a public auction, he said.
That leaves two more former elementary school buildings intact, but not for long.
Adams and Lincoln elementary schools are being used to house the seventh- and eighth-graders, respectively, of Wilson Middle School. The new Wilson school will be ready for occupancy in the fall.
“Once we’re out of those two, we’ll go through the same process,” Boerke said. “If we go through the same schedule, the usual bidding and abatement process, they will be demolished this same time next year.”
But the district hasn’t had much luck selling off the sites of the demolished schools. Only the Buchanan Elementary School property sold at auction last fall, leaving the district holding the site of Madison Elementary, 250 N. Ninth St., and nearly 10 acres on Timber Hill Drive. Both were offered for auction and received no bids.
The site of the former Van Buren Elementary was traded for city property for the construction of Crawford Woods Elementary, Copas said.
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