Schools

East School Demolition, Middle School Renovation Starts April 1

East School's limestone frontispiece to be preserved.

With the East School demolition/Lake Bluff Middle School renovation project set to begin April 1, the Board is in the process of finalizing some details - including where the East School frontispiece will go once the building has been demolished.


The District 65 Board voted Tuesday night to accept a $669,000 bid from Bergen Construction to complete the middle school renovation and demolish East School. Board members also approved $36,250 in alternate bids that will include refacing cabinets in three science labs at the middle school and the demolition of an unused water tank at the school.


Next, board and community members will undertake the task of determining where to place East School’s frontispiece, including the archway. What is known for sure is that the frontispiece will be placed somewhere on the former East School property in accordance with the village-mandated 60-foot setback from the roadway.

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East School, which opened in 1895, has been closed since Lake Bluff Elementary School opened in 2009. A task force was formed in May 2009 to try to find the best use for East School. The group looked at potential tenants, but was unable to find a renter for the property. It was ultimately recommended to the school board that East School be demolished, a move the board subsequently approved.

The land where East School sits will be used as green space for Lake Bluff Elementary School.

Find out what's happening in Lake Forest-Lake Bluffwith free, real-time updates from Patch.


Board Member Corinne Torkelson said she has spoken with members of the community who support saving East School’s limestone frontispiece.


“Our biggest hurdle will be to find a safe place to store the frontispiece” until a permanent location has been selected for it, said Torkelson. She said there will be an opportunity for interested individuals to help make the decision regarding where the frontispiece’s permanent location will be.


Board Member Eric Grenier said the district needs to take more time to make that determination, noting that “we want to make sure it’s in the right place.”


District officials also plan to save some of the plants and trees on the East School property, given that many of those materials were planted by the Lake Bluff Garden Club.


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