Driscoll demolition starts Monday

The final chapter for the former Driscoll Catholic School in Addison will begin next week when workers demolish the building that housed students for 43 years.

The village of Addison purchased the land where the building stands for $2.9 million last month from the Joliet Diocese, with some of the proceeds going to Catholic school scholarships.

The building will be demolished because officials said it would be too costly to repair and maintain.

Driscoll closed in 2009 when the Christian Brothers, who ran the school, said declining enrollment and financial woes made it unsustainable. Supporters rapidly raised money and created a proposal to buy Driscoll, but their offer was rejected.

Peg Senese, whose four sons played on Driscoll's six state-champion football teams, said she knows demolishing the building is practical.

“But what's really touched a lot of people is not the practical side of anything, it's the emotional side,” she said. “There is no logic ... I just wish it wasn't happening.”

Now Addison will lease the 19-acre property for $1 a year to DuPage High School District 88 so Addison Trail High School students can use the football and baseball fields for athletic practices and parking. Officials said a soccer field may be added later.

District 88 will maintain the property and allow other groups, such as Addison Park District and Addison Rec Club, to use the land as needed.

Several Driscoll alumni and parents called Addison to ask if they could keep bricks from the old building, said Robert Nissen, Addison community development director. So officials will set aside a supply of bricks that will be free to anyone who wants a memento.

Nissen said they will be placed in a pile on the property in a nonhazardous location and he hopes to create a sign to direct people to the correct pile. The bricks will still have mortar on them, which the demolition company cannot clean.

Although demolition is slated to begin Monday, Nissen said utilities must be disconnected and workers must complete asbestos abatement before the building is razed.

Memorial bricks are the newest keepsakes for Driscoll supporters. This year, alumni, parents and staff also created the Catholic Legacy Hall. Situated inside Addison village hall and costing about $50,000, it features memorabilia such as trophies, yearbooks and school uniforms.

Senese, who helped lead the hall's development, said both the hall and time have allowed some people to move forward, but the demolition might cause a bit more grief.

“There's been a lot of water under the bridge and I think people's feelings are all over the board, but I think every time people drive by, they will wince a bit when they look there,” she said.