City prepares demolition of old Joliet Catholic High School gym

Passersby on Wednesday started to see signs that demolition of the old Joliet Catholic High School gym is coming soon.

Nothing has been torn down yet, but a “Construction Ahead” sign was posted on Hickory Street, and part of a lane was fenced off Thursday to make room for demolition.

The gym and cafeteria below it will be torn down in a delicate demolition that will leave intact adjoining apartments in the Victory Centre of Joliet senior living facility.

“This building is going to come down as meticulously as it went up,” said Peter Bohler, project manager for R. Berti Building Solutions, the construction manager for the job, as he described some of the challenges ahead.

Tearing down the gym and cafeteria without disturbing the adjoining structure is one challenge, Bohler said Wednesday. Bricks will be removed from the interior gym wall through a toothing process used so as not to disturb the walls of the apartments, which are actually in a separate but connected building.

Bohler said demolition also must be done without dropping debris onto Jefferson Street, which also is Route 30. The busy street entering downtown Joliet passes along the north side of the gym and below the structure that sits on a hill.

“This building is going to come down as meticulously as it went up.”

—  Peter Bohler, project manager for R. Berti Building Solutions

Steel trusses that support the roof of the gym will be removed and cut up on the side of Hickory Street rather than being torn apart in place.

One lane on Jefferson Street and one lane on Hickory Street will be closed at times during the demolition but not for the entire course of the project.

The demolition is expected to be completed by the end of November, said Blaine Kline, facilities management director for the city of Joliet.

Work began earlier this month but was not evident because it was inside, he said.

“We’re doing some interior work to stabilize and prepare for the demolition,” Kline said.

The interior of the building is a dark and dismal place now.

Water on the cafeteria floor from a Tuesday night rain was evidence of a leaky roof, and rotten wood on the gym floor showed the leak was not new.

Decades of unuse

The building was constructed in 1927, according to a school history on the website for Joliet Catholic Academy, which was created in 1990 when Joliet Catholic High School merged with St. Francis Academy and moved out of the old campus.

The U.S. flag still hangs in the center of the gym, where it was the focus of attention for national anthems played before basketball games. Rusty and bent basketball hoops still are attached to several backboards. The balcony that once provided upper-level seating for big crowds at games now is barren.

The space has not been used since 1991, when it provided a temporary home for Plainfield High School students after their school was destroyed in the tornado that happened Aug. 28, 1990.

The gym and cafeteria were acquired by the city of Joliet in 1997, when the remainder of the old Joliet Catholic High School campus was converted to Victory Centre of Joliet, a privately owned senior living facility.

The city acquired the gym and cafeteria with indefinite plans to use the space for community programs. The space was never put to use, and the city has not maintained it. The space has deteriorated over the years, creating concerns for Victory Centre residents who live in apartments that share walls with the gym.

Victory Centre residents for years urged the city to do something about the space before the decision was made last year to move ahead with demolition.

Asbestos removal was completed in January.

The cost of demolition is $1.5 million, up from a $1.2 million estimate made when the City Council approved the project in March. Kline said bids for the work were higher than what was expected in the initial estimate.