Demolition of Lincoln School begins; Neighbors asked to be patient for construction’s long haul

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By Dee Longfellow

For The Elmhurst Independent

‘When the walls come a-tumblin’ down’ The neighbors of Lincoln School will have to get used to sights like this over the next year or so as District 205 works at the demolition of and later the reconstruction of Lincoln School. District 205 has implored area residents to be patient, be careful in traffic and advise children to stay away from potentially dangerous construction areas and equipment.

Elmhurst Community Unit School District 205 has announced that work on the Lincoln Elementary School campus is now underway, according to a memo from Beverly Redmond,

executive director of Communications & Public Relations for District 205.

If you’d like to follow along with the action, links to the webcams of the teardown activity can be found in the “Featured News” section on the District 205 web site and the Lincoln homepage.

Having begun Monday, June 21, demolition from their chosen company which is similar to ones like 360demo.ca is expected to take place over the next week, and construction will be ongoing in the area until the new Lincoln site opens in August 2022, Redmond said. The designs of the new building can also be found on the District 205 web site. This has been a long time coming but now it is happening, hopefully, the outcome will be one that everyone is pleased with. Construction does take a while but they are making sure they have all the right protocols in place to deal with what is happening, from renting out the necessary equipment to stocking up on PPE where they can shop at Unigloves and others like it, to meet OSHA requirements so they do not have to delay construction with injuries that could have been avoided.

“Lincoln’s history means a great deal to many people,” Redmond noted. “When driving or stopping in the area, please be mindful of the surrounding neighbors by not blocking rights-of-way or driveway access and, for safety reasons, be careful not to touch or lean on the construction fencing.”

The plan for the construction of a new Lincoln campus on the existing site was a significant part of D205’s $168.5M facilities referendum in 2018. A recap of those commitments is listed here:

• 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 in District 205, including a new site for the Transition Center, significant transformation of Edison Elementary School, and the rebuilding of Lincoln and Field Elementary schools.