On Saturday, May 22, Elmhurst School District 205 held a “Last Look at Lincoln” event, which included free prize drawings for items like the large gift basket on the table or the Kickscooter won by the young man. Pictured are (from left): Lincoln principal Jen Barnabee, Sienna Azzinaro and Peter Azzinaro and assistant principal Calissa Smith with her daughter Elin.
By Dee Longfellow
For The Elmhurst Independent
On Saturday, May 22, Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 invited the community to visit Lincoln Elementary School for the last time before construction begins.
The special event was designed to offer the Lincoln neighborhood, alumni, and other interested residents a chance to have one last look at the historic campus before the building is razed in preparation for construction of the new Lincoln Elementary School.
There were building tours, painting stations, Lincoln artifact items for auction and Lincoln brick sign-up. (Bricks will be available for sale in August.)
Among the artifacts remaining at Lincoln are doors from original classrooms and offices. If interested, call the school office at 630-834-4548 to arrange to see them.
One of the delightful parts of the tours was seeing the messages written by students on the walls both inside and outside of the building. Kids were pretty much allowed to do and say anything they wanted (well, maybe not anything!) before the building would be torn down. Most kids wrote memories of their classes and activities at Lincoln and the friends they made, including teachers and staff.
The bricks on two outdoor sides of Lincoln are covered in colorful handprints that kids made, dipping their hands in various colors.
Commitments made in referendum
The plan for the construction of a new Lincoln campus on the existing site was a significant part of the D205’s $168.5 million facilities referendum in 2018.
A recap of those commitments include:
• Creating future-ready learning spaces—Adding more STEM labs and maker spaces as well as reimagining media center spaces.
• Enhancing safety and security—Ensuring secure entrances at all schools.
• Rebuilding and renovating school buildings—Supporting renovations at all 13 schools, including a new site for the Transition Center, significant transformation of Edison Elementary School and rebuilding Lincoln and Field Elementary schools.
Timeline
As the timeline for the next phase of construction nears, the D205 Board of Education approved the decommissioning and demolition of Lincoln during its regular meeting on Tuesday, May 11. Final review of the site plans was expected by the City of Elmhurst’s Development, Planning and Zoning Committee on Monday, May 24 and by the full City Council on Monday, June 7.
Upon approval by the City Council on June 7, work is expected to begin immediately. Construction will follow an extremely tight schedule in order to ensure the new Lincoln School will be open for students at the start of the 2022-23 school year.
Watch demolition live
Demolition will be live-streamed on the D205 website at www.elmhurst205.org and Lincoln Elementary School website at www.lincoln205.org. Construction will be ongoing in the area until the new Lincoln site opens in August 2022.
District 205 said special appreciation goes to the principals, staff, and parents who worked tirelessly on transition plans, as well with the architects and builders to ensure that the 106-year-history of Lincoln is acknowledged and reflected in the designs for the new building.
Beginning June 7, you can follow construction updates on Twitter at @ElmhurstD205.
