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R.I. Council accepts bid to demolish old school
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By Bill Mayeroff, bmayeroff@qconline.com
By Bill Mayeroff, bmayeroff@qconline.com
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"We saw it coming." Those were the words of Gordon Weller, a member of the Rock Island Community Redevelopment and Advancement Coalition, at the end of Monday's Rock Island city council meeting. The city council voted Monday to accept a bid for the demolition of the former Lincoln School at 2125 7th Ave. The city awarded the contract for demolition to Elgin-based American Demolition Corporation, who will demolish the old school, which has been vacant since 1985, for a cost of $444,600. According to a memo in the meeting agenda, American Demolition Corporation will have 120 days to demolish the school. Mr. Weller said that members of the Coalition, formed in May, were not surprised that the council voted as it did. The motion to accept the bid was passed 6-1, with Ald. Jason Jones, 5th Ward, the lone dissenting vote. "We knew it was an uphill battle," Mr. Weller said. "There was a strong pull to demolish the building." Coalition member Nicholas Babeu spoke on behalf of the group during the council meeting. He told the council that the 118-year-old building is part of Rock Island's identity, and he felt city officials were not putting forth enough effort to save it. "It feels like the city has let the building go into a state of disrepair," Mr. Babeu said. "Why are we destroying what makes us unique? The building is by no means beyond saving." After the meeting, Mr. Babeu said he agreed with Mr. Weller that the council's decision to demolish the school was not a surprise. "They had their plans already set in stone," he said. Coalition member Adam Kirschbaum agreed. "Over the last couple weeks, we definitely got the impression that's where the city was headed," he said. Rock Island bought the school in 2007 for $53,000. Ald. Jones, whose 5th ward includes the old school, agreed. "This is a sad day," he told the council. "Preservation is not a barrier to progress." Ald. Terry Brooks, 1st Ward, said the city had tried for a long time to find something to do with the school and that the time had come to make a decision about its fate. "It's time to put it to rest," Ald. Brooks said. "Some things you just can't save." Ald. Jones said that with the fate of the former school sealed, he and the council can concentrate on how best to use the lot. "It's time to move forward and plan," he said. In other business, the council voted unanimously to install cameras on light poles in and around Longview Park. One camera will be mounted on a light pole near the park's basketball court and another will be on a light pole on 15th Avenue. The cost, according to the agenda, is $13,290. 
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Today is Saturday, May 25, the 145th day of 2013. There are 220 days left in the year.
1863 -- 150 years ago: The annual review of the fire department of this city took placeyesterday and made a fine showing with machines and hose carts in tip-top order.
1888 -- 125 years ago: Last night's prayer meeting at Central Presbyterian Church wascalled off due to water in the basement, residue of last week's flood.
1913 -- 100 years ago: The junior class of Rock Island High School will hold a riverexcursion on the steamer St. Paul next Tuesday.
1938 -- 75 years ago: The 75th Anniversary of the Rock Island Arsenal today finds thenation's largest ordinance manufacturing plant filling many important orders for the army.
1963 -- 50 years ago: Miss Patrice Daly, Rock Island, a senior at Rock Island HighSchool, won second place in the recent state public speaking contest held in Peoria underthe auspices of the Knights of Pythias.
1988 -- 25 years ago: Hampton's sesquicentennial committee and the Hampton HistoricalSociety have scheduled a full slate of activities, which will be held throughout the year, to celebrate the village's 150th birthday. The first celebration will be the Memorial Dayprogram at 10 a.m. May 30, at the Brettun and Black Store Museum on River Road. Therewill be a sesquicentennial display.
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