Wilbur and Dorothy Rose’s house is gone. The home from which they watched fireworks, the home in which they planned to live the rest of their lives, has been demolished by Peoria Public School District 150.
Demolished for nothing. The school district can’t use the land for anything.
The picture above shows the empty lot at 2126 N. Prospect where the Roses’ house used to stand. The district purchased the property for $98,000, almost $38,000 more than its fair-market value. They bought it prematurely, thinking they were going to be able to enter into a land-sharing agreement with the Park District and erect a new school on this property and the surrounding parcels they had started to assemble.
Once that plan fell through, they decided not to sell the properties or try to recoup lost money. Instead, they’ve begun razing the houses instead. So instead of the picture above, I could have just as easily put up a picture of a pile of taxpayer money and the school board lighting it on fire.
Is this how Peorians want their tax money to be spent? Is the school board simply taking revenge on east bluff neighbors for opposing their plans for a school here, and using taxpayer dollars to do it? Or is the school board laying siege to the neighborhood here, destabilizing it to the point that the remaining neighbors will just give in (or leave)? Will no one hold the school board accountable for the wanton destruction of assets that could be better used for educational purposes?
The school board spent $877,500 total to purchase eight properties in this neighborhood — properties they can’t use — properties they should resell. How long will we let this fiscal irresponsibility continue?
This is certainly becoming a common sight in town, isn’t it? It’s a good time to be in the demolition business.
The School Board (i.e. Hinton) is spending this money to put pressure on the Park Board to go along with their little program to build a school there; Their premise is simple: we have so much money invested in the properties, it is foolish not to go ahead and build this school that no one wants at that location. Better keep on your toes, or these secret meetings will come back and haunt you.
DUH! It’s like dozen other recent projects around this town. Carry on as if it’s surely going to happen and maybe it will. PPA? And after all it much easier to apologize afterward than to get permission before….
Kook for it in the future. Someone form 150 will be saying “Hey, the homes are already demolished…why not proceed?” as if they had NOTHING to do with the homes being torn down. Detestable.
I was a Hinton man up til this crap.
PI — at least over by Bradley there’s a purpose behind the madness. I still think a parking deck is a horrible structure to put up instead of the houses, but at least it’s something. Here, the school district isn’t building anything. Nothing is going in the place of this house. It’s been demolished for no good reason. There is seemingly no end to how infuriating District 150 can be.
Give ’em time…
I really hope that this whole school siting issue was put to rest after the last election, but what if they decide to tear all 8 of them down? Can someone confirm if they’ve been gutted or not? I thought I’d heard that but I’m still not clear on the answer. If so, why wouldn’t they just tear them down if it’s such a nuisance to maintain? There’d be, what, 5 left I think? Then what? Who’s going to want to live there? It doesn’t look like they’re in any hurry to built that desperately needed school anymore- do they still think they can change the Park Board’s mind?
Would the Park District have any interest in that corner?
Just admit the mistake, sell the property at a loss, and move on. Is it any wonder Peoria’s population has been stagnant over the past 25 years? Our leaders become so entrenched in their positions that no amount of logic will sway them.
Selling the houses and taking the loss would take logic and frankly District 150 lacks it. They are going on as if they are building the school in the hopes of shoving it down our throats at a later date. They can say “look the land is clear and unused. Let’s build a school!”
PI:
Cassidy wants to maintain the Park Board’s present course. He doesn’t want to reopen old wounds by revisiting the school-in-the-park issue; he thinks it’s important for the sake of the community for that issue to be final and off the table. …. Would appear that for now, the taxpayers are ‘safe’?
http://peoriachronicle.com/2007/04/15/park-board-president-cassidy/#comments
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but within the last 3 years I was in 2212 Prospect; the brick house right at the edge of the park. This house is totally liveable as the people living there at the time did a fabulous job remodeling and fixing it. Unless the owners who moved back in trashed it, this house was in move in condition and would have been a perfect home for a single, couple or a couple with a child or two. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THIS HOUSE!! So, if Hinton & Co. tear it down, we know it has NOTHING to do with it’s condition!!!
I’ve been telling you for some time what a loser Hinton is. The man has no sense of fiscal responsibility because he had no administrative experience to have been placed in the role of superintendent. Sorry to say, but I told you so, and don’t be surprised when more shenanigans surface in the future! Even out going Matheson seems to FINALLY begun voicing his displeasure with that inept administration! ^oo^~
Based on my sources, at least 5 of the 7 houses have been gutted, the question really is by whom because accounts of that differ.
$98,000 is a drop in the bucket. Will it surprise any of you that Hinton & Cahill just created a new administrative position – Director of New Construction – and staffed it with the present Director of Bldgs & Grounds, Dave Ryon? Don’t worry, they won’t eliminate a position to compensate for the increase either. Just what new construction do you think Ryon will direct?
Dave Ryon is working on turning the Social Security building on Knoxville into an alternative school. A friend was at the meeting and told me about it.
That’s true it was discussed at the Committee of the Whole meeting last night. But did you also catch that there is concern that the funding will be delayed and they will have to open next fall at another site – perhaps White? Either way, that is renovation, not new construction.
My friend was at meeting they had with the neighbors effected by the location of the school being at Social Security meeting that was held about a month ago. They had kids from the progam there and said they were just wonderful and they will be a great addition to the neighborhood. I’m sure the teenage drug dealers are licking their chops at the prospect of fresh meat!
Also no one knew about the Committee meeting last night I was told. So it looks like District 150 operating under the philosophy that it is easier to ask for forgiveness than to ask for permission.
Two words: Voter Turnout. All the complaining in the world won’t stop corruption or tax payers waste. It’s time to hold people accountable for thier actions.
I voted and so did all my neighbors. We are just tired of District 150 trying to feed all of us on the East Bluff crap sandwiches and telling us it is steak.
Look at the bright side. Now people driving down Prospect can see more of Glen Oak Park. You know, that park that is in poor condition? Maybe the Park District can be shamed into doing some maintenance?
Is there any sort of voter recall that can be done at the city level?
Amen Hula!! I know my neighbors and I don’t want any part of this “New” school in our neighborhood. Fighting the late night Micky-D’s drop offs is hard enough, let’s not add day-light delivery as well.And yes the sandwitches taste bad and are stale.
Hula Monkey – have you seen Jellick’s blog – “Matheson lets loose . . .?” Matheson spoke to the delay in obtaining funding for the SSA site as well as other delays caused by the administrative team. This board is allowing the district to fail on all counts. One incompetency after another – how do we get our neighbors interested in demanding changes to the BOE and administrative team? The BOE and administrative team have to go. They are not equal to the tasks before them.
You all just had a chance to change the School Board in an election and failed to do so-so eat your sandwiches and shut up!
RomanII — A few things:
RomanII, you are correct – the voters in district 2 had the chance to change their BOE members and did. We do not reside in that district and so weren’t able to vote for any of the candidate(s). We are stuck with the decision of the voters of that district – let’s hope they made good decisions. If they haven’t, are we just supposed to accept it and not voice our concerns?
I think that is great that Peorians have a voice. The internet is where you get REAL news and not the watered down crap they like to call journalism in the PJ Star.
Peoria is about 5 years behind the times, but I think people are finally understanding this invention called the “interwebs.” Ha ha.