West Branch board to award demolition pact

BELOIT -- The West Branch Board of Education is expected to award a contract Dec. 15 for demolition of the Beloit and Maple Ridge elementary schools.
Treasurer Karen Elsner said there is $285,000 in the budget for the demolition and bids came in significantly under that, at around $160,000.
School officials completed moves into new facilities in September, vacating the two elementary schools. The buildings are no longer needed by the district, she said.
Because of the age and condition of the buildings, there was little interest from public or private companies or individuals to purchase them, Elsner said.
Maple Ridge was built in 1925 and Beloit in 1916 with an addition in 1932, and renovation to bring the buildings up to code for other purposes was cost prohibitive, she said.
Elsner said the school district will retain the land but school officials want to demolish the buildings as soon as possible to prevent them from becoming hazardous and unsightly structures in the communities.