The Niles Times
The city school board is proposing to tear down and rebuild half of the football stadium and lease the former Our Lady of Mount Carmel School on Rhodes Avenue as part of the new schools building project here.
"This is definitely the best move for our school district and for the education of our students," said Superintendent Rocco Adduci last week during a community meeting held to update the public on plans for the new school buildings.
The state has allotted $850,000 for Niles schools to use as "Swing Space" for housing students while the new buildings are being constructed on district-owned property at the Bonham and Lincoln sites. Adduci said he's recommending the school board agree to lease-purchase the Mt. Carmel School property to house elementary students while the new schools are being built. Then, after the construction project is complete, the building will be used as the new central office.
"Eventually we can build an all-weather track and the soccer fields there," he said.
The new high school is being built on the current soccer field.
Also, Adduci said hes recommending the school district tear down and rebuild the visitor stands of the varsity football field.
That would prove to be a temporary inconvenience but provide permanent benefit for the students, said Robert J. McAuliffe Jr., Senior Manager, Hammond Construction.
"Every dollar that's being spent can only be spent once," said McAuliffe. By moving the visitor stands, the school district won't have to buy property or use eminent domain to acquire the land, he said, and all the money approved in the 5.3 mill, $68 million building project last fall will go to school construction.
Adduci said if the board approves the plan, the visitor's bleachers would be torn down after school ends in 2010 and rebuilt in time for the next football season. All of the project is slated to be done by 2013.