'Biggest pieces of blight': Two abandoned schools in Peoria set to meet the wrecking ball
Two long-vacant former school buildings in Peoria could be demolished soon because of $2 million in next year's Peoria city budget.
The council's support for spending that money to tear down the former McKinley and Harrison schools left Denise Jackson "ecstatic," she said.
"It's been on my radar and others for quite some time," said Jackson, who represents the area around the schools on the council. "... People have wanted to see those buildings, especially McKinley, torn down."
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McKinley, which sits vacant at 1201 W. Adrian G. Hinton Jr. Ave, and Harrison, 2702 W. Krause Ave., have both sat empty for decades since they were closed and sold by Peoria Public Schools and have become neighborhood eyesores.
"(McKinley) is just in such horrendous shape, it's changed owners, and nobody has been able to bring it up to code because of the enormous amount of money," Jackson said. "People will be ecstatic when we see those two buildings coming down."
Jackson said the schools are among the "two biggest pieces of blight in the neighborhood."
"It's going to raise hopes and expectations, people will see that finally City Hall is concerned with what happens in the 1st District," Jackson said. "Especially in 61605."
Two hurdles remain for project completion
Peoria will be using just over $2 million of its remaining $37 million in COVID-19 relief funds for the demolitions. However, federal money applied for by U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos, D-Moline, may also be coming for the demolitions.
If the federal money comes through, $1 million of the COVID-19 relief funds will go back to the city for use, City Manager Patrick Urich said. The federal money is still moving through the appropriations process in Washington, D.C.
"(The relief money) gave us the opportunity to really look at how we could fast-track the demolition of both of those schools," Urich said.
However, Peoria does not own the land the schools are on, which means Peoria will have to acquire the land from the Waukegan-based company which owns it.
The city began court proceedings earlier this year to speed approval for demolition. The owner told a Peoria County judge in February that he was seeking to sell the schools because he couldn't afford to rehabilitate them.
The demolition project will also have to clear environmental hurdles. If there is asbestos or other materials that could cause health concerns in the building, those will have to be addressed before the wrecking ball can swing.
"I would almost guarantee there is (asbestos)," Urich said. "The age of those buildings and just the ubiquitous use of asbestos to wrap pipes and things like that in older buildings, I am sure there was."
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Urich said he hopes demolition can begin by mid-2022.
"I think the demolition of both of those structures is a statement to the community that we have recognized and heard their concerns about these two structures that are causing blight and quite frankly are a danger to the community," Urich said.
This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Two Peoria demolitions funded from COVID aid through city budget
