PEORIA, Ill. — All that will remain of Peoria’s old Harrison School will be the memories after the Peoria City Council Tuesday night hired a contractor to demolish the building.
The city chose Green Demolition Contractors from Chicago to demolish the vacant south side school at a cost of $1.156 million, almost all of which comes from federal funds.
According to 25 News, this is the second company hired to do the work, but the initial contractor did not meet requirements necessary to receive federal dollars.
Green is the same company demolishing the old McKinley School, but Peoria Community Development Director Joe Dulin said the firm can do both projects without delay.
Harrison School was built in the early 1900s, but has sat vacant more than a decade, becoming a blighted eyesore with safety and health hazards facing anyone who would go inside.
City leaders envision affordable housing or perhaps at park at the old school site.
The Peoria City Council also unanimously approved a combined sewer overflow control project.
The contract will pay Illinois Civil Contractors nearly $7,855,000 to complete the work.
