Buildings ready to be demolished as reconstruction of 3 Springfield High Schools rolls on
There soon could be movement on the $123 million reconstruction of Springfield High School.
Businesses and residences on the north side of Monroe Street from Parker Street to Lewis Street and on Washington Street just off Lewis are being readied for demolition.
Meanwhile, the $93 million reconstruction of Lanphier High School will move into its final phase with the demolition of the Edison Wing in the coming weeks that will allow for the construction of the school's first-ever auditorium.
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Funding for both projects comes from the 1% sales tax increase that Sangamon County voters approved in November 2018, netting District 186 an average of $13 million per year.
Superintendent Jennifer Gill recently confirmed that contractors are doing asbestos removal and inspections as well as taking some glass out of the buildings along Washington and Monroe.
The space on Washington will be used for parking, said District 186 spokeswoman Rachel Dyas, while the space on Monroe will be used for facilities and parking.
Another building on the southeast corner of Monroe and New streets will also be torn down, Dyas said.
Springfield High School has an outdoor practice facility further south on New Street.
The most dramatic change in the school plan will be reorienting the main student entrance to the Monroe Street side.
Reconstruction will also include new competition and practice gyms, student common areas, classrooms and band spaces.
Project architects said in the fall they were intent on restoring some of the grandeur of the exterior work compromised by recent remodeling projects. They also maintained that the historic mosaic murals dotting the campus would be preserved.
Gill said administrators met with Springfield High School staff a couple of weeks to show them the construction phasing.
One teacher, who had also been through the construction at Lanphier, told other teachers that it was "worth it," Gill recalled.
The district will be rolling out information in the coming weeks to SHS families about what to expect about things like parking, traffic patterns around the school and how students will navigate the halls with construction in the fall.
Summer programming usually held at the school will be shifted to Southeast High School, Gill said.
The reconstruction at SHS is scheduled to be completed in time for the 2026-27 school year, Gill said.
At Lanphier, crews are rolling forward with finishing touches.
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The tear down of the Edison Wing will pave the way for the auditorium and some additional classroom space for library services and fine arts programming, Gill said.
Officials are working on the Lanphier High School Hall of Fame that will provide an entry way between the commons area and the new Lober-Nika Gymnasium that opened in January.
Meanwhile, a major renovation will kick off at Southeast over the summer, including a new entrance to Spartan Stadium, a new track and upgrades to the facilities and field.
The district will provide a facilities update at a spring board meeting.
Contact Steven Spearie: 217-622-1788; sspearie@sj-r.com; X, twitter.com/@StevenSpearie.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Construction continues on at three Springfield high schools
