PEKIN, Ill. – It’s not the best of circumstances, but while crews began demolishing part of the west side garage that’s part of the Pekin Township Building Thursday following a partial wall collapse the day before, township supervisor Shannon Saal was still working.
Out of her van, across the street, in the public parking lot on Elizabeth Street.
“We’re not able to go in to the building right now,” said Saal. “So, actually, I had a general assistance appointment over the phone [Thursday] morning at 10:00 a.m. So, everything’s fine – business as usual. “I also have had our sweets and breads out of my van. So I had several people come and get their bread and sweets like they do every morning.”
Saal only expects to be out of her side of the building for a week while demolition continues, and she’s still working on plans to expand her services, especially to local senior citizens.
Saal says she was taken aback by the partial collapse Wednesday, admitting she had no idea it happened at first.
“Two county employees…they came in…I was closing the doors at 3 p.m.. They said, ‘Shannon, do you know what’s happening on the west side of your building?’” said Saal. “I’m like, ‘No, what is it?’ So we walked, and I said, ‘Oh, my goodness!’ The side of the wall was buckling.”
That has since led to the partial demolition of the west side of the building next to a law office being partially demolished. Some of the debris Thursday morning fell to the street below, while some of it hit the law office, landing on an awning and hitting a railing outside. Crews used a bit “claw” to tear apart the collapsed roof and part of the west wall, stopping only to fix the claw after a piece of the wooden roof to get stuck in it.
Meanwhile, Saal says the rumors of the demise of the entire building are greatly exaggerated.
“I know there’s been talk and speculation as far as Facebook-land goes. However, I’m here to tell you we’re going to be okay. We’re going to be up and running. It is a little hiccup – a bump in the road. However, we will conquer, and we will still serve the Pekin community,” said Saal.
Saal’s office can be reached in the meantime at pekintownship@grics.net, or by calling (309) 202-7803.
