East School: Open Space Or Community Place?

What should Lake Bluff School District 65 do with East School? That's been on the minds of many residents since voters approved a new school referendum in April of 2007. On Tuesday night, the East School Task Force outlined four potential scenarios for the building that's been around since 1895. Initial pricing ranges from $650,000 for an open space plan to $7.7 million to renovate the entire building for a facility similar to Lake Forest's Gorton Community Center. The four scenarios are:

1. Adaptive reuse of the entire building for a community center, which involves modernizing and bringing the building up to today's codes. The District's architect estimates such a renovation would cost $6.2 million to $7.7 million
2. Adaptive resuse of the entire building for a community center, but only making improvements that bring the structure up to code. The estimated cost: $4.9 million to $6.1 million
3. Demolish the 1947 addition and reuse/renovate only the older part of the building for a community center: $3.2 million
4. Raise the entire building and develop the lot into green space while retaining certain architectural elements. The estimated cost: $650,000 to $690,000

David Forlow, who presented the Task Force's findings on Tuesday night, pointed out that these estimates are for the initial cost and do not include annual maintenance, upkeep and other expenses. Overhead for East School presently costs $100,000 annually, he said. The Task Force estimates the District would need a $3,000 donation per household to fund the initial costs of a Community Center.

The Task Force did not recommend one scenario over another as it handed the decision back to the School Board, but it did conclude that the final decision should not pull money away from educating children.

School Board member Eric Grenier said the District needs the building for another 14 months, mostly for storage purposes after the 2008-09 school year ends, as well as for administrative offices. Board member Eric Waggoner, who also sits on the East School Task Force, said the board should not hurry its decision. "There is a certain amount of time we owe to the community to the extent there is interest in looking at other options in financing," he said.

The Task Force has been working since June 2007 to figure out what to do with the building at 121 E. Sheridan Place that is somewhat of a polarizing issue between the many residents who have a strong sentimental attachment and/or appreciation of its historic value and those who believe the building's need for modernization renders it useless. Visit the task force page at lakebluffschools.org to read more about how the group arrived at its conclusions, as well as for more information on these scenarios. Mr. Grenier said Tuesday's presentation essentially is the end of the line for the Task Force. Channel 19 will rebroadcast the School Board meeting on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. and Wednesdays at 8 a.m.

Comments

[Bob Clifford]

I think option #3 sounds like a good compromise. Create a community center, save the architectural elements and add green space in place of the 1947 addition demolition. Don't know where funding would come from? Perhaps a community campaign to donate your time, expertise and tools to aid in the renovation?

[Gary]

Call the folks at "Extreme Makeover: School Edition" No, honestly, this is an historical building and should be protected. Not sure why it doesn't have historical status already? No decision should be made until the city / residents have the ability to fund each of the options independently - maybe it will take five years... But to just raze a building like this because the money isn't there now is crazy..

[Nicki]

One complicating factor to keep in mind is that the building and land are currently owned by the taxpayers of School District 65, which is not the same as the Village of Lake Bluff. Any future use would have to benefit (and any expense to taxpayers be borne by) all the residents of the School District and not just the Village, unless the Village were to purchase the property from the School District at market value.

[gcc]

I like option 4 - more green space and maybe an extra field for the middle school.

[Deb]

Just a question: has anyone considered the possibility of the Vliet Center moving into the historical part of East School (maybe in combination with community center uses, too, depending on how much space is left over) ....

taking down the newer wings and using the surrounding land for Green Space or a playing field for the Middle School ....

and then letting the Library expand into the current Vliet Museum space? Our library seems so hand-cuffed by space limitations and that would surely give it some room to spread out .... ???

I know they are all owned by different entities, which would make it challenging, but I'm just wondering if this is an option to consider?

Locating the Vliet Center near the Middle School might even strengthen the school-museum connection ....?

[LB#1]

Vliet was one of the 100+ area organizations contacted by the East School Task Force. Vliet can't afford anywhere near what it would cost to maintain the East School space. Utilities alone at East are about 85K per year.

If someone can raise $3+ million to convert East to community use (and then raise another $100K a year to cover overhead) then East could be saved.

I love old buildings and I am a history buff but Dist 65 can't (and shouldn't) spend a penny at East unless the building is used for educational purposes.

Gorton will lose $300K+ this year and that amount will have to be generated in fund raising. Dist 65 can't be saddled with an albatross.

[lbmom]

The greenspace sounds like the most effective way for the school district to utilize the property. They can use it for Middle school recess or PE class. I don't think I want an empty building to sit in our neighborhood for 5 years costing tax payers 100K each year because of indecision. That money could be put to our school cirriculum instead! Great if you can get someone to purchase it - but have you seen the inside? Basement that floods every time it rains! No one is crazy enough to buy it!

[Shannon]

I was speaking to a former LB resident and he was saddened to hear about East school closing and he hoped the community would find a use for the gym/stage area at the very least. I told him about the options presented and then we discussed the idea of the Vilet Center moving there and how it would be a great tie-in as one of LB's oldest buildings and one with so much community history.