The process of tearing down Cannon School at 1202 East Main Street in Danville, has begun.
The District 118 School Board voted unanimously to proceed with the tearing down of Cannon School at a special meeting in early March.
The bid was awarded to Lee Farms Excavating out of Paxton for $456,750.
The Cannon School building had been closed for over five years after suffering significant flooding damage. District 118 Director of Buildings and Grounds Skip Truex stated at the time of the decision that continued water infiltration had made the building beyond repair, to the extent that 15 million dollars would have been needed to simply be able to even walk into it and do anything. Then, the work to make it an actual school again would have cost several million more.
Assistant Superintendent John Hart says that weather permitting, the tear down of the building should be completed by around July 22nd. The property will remain fenced off for a while after that to handle clean up, back fill, and other necessities. Also, District 118 is asking everyone to please not enter inside the fenced-in area; as commemorative bricks will be made available by the district at a future date.
