Published: September 28, 2007 10:40 am            

Hancock Fabrics building purchase makes sense

For at least two years, the future of the Clinton School District’s maintenance facility was up in the air — as in where it would be located.

That department had been housed in the old Irving School located in South Clinton. That building was sold to Archer Daniels Midland Co. for $450,000 for its plant expansion. ADM took possession of that property Jan. 1, 2006. When the Irving property was sold the plan was to construct a maintenance department and warehouse on the property currently housing the district’s transportation department, which is located on U.S. 30 west of Clinton.

But that plan came to a sudden halt last October when the Camanche School Board directed Superintendent Tom Parker to look into options to get the Clinton district to move off the property. Camanche filed a petition with the Clinton County Clerk’s Office in early March stating the ownership of the land by the Clinton School District to be unlawful and outside the proper authority of the Clinton School District. That matter has not been resolved.

Enter the Hancock Fabrics building into the picture. The district, which had maintenance items squirreled away at buildings and storage pods throughout the district, was able to purchase that building at 431 Seventh Ave. South for $295,000.

The building will go through some renovations before the maintenance department can move in. The building needs a new roof and the asbestos floor tile will be removed. District employees probably will be moving into the structure in about two months.

We know securing a location has been difficult, especially with the collapse of the first plan and then lack of a location and funding. While we are sorry Hancock Fabrics left the community and closed its doors, we are happy that the building will be put to good use at a reasonable cost to the district. The location is good and is within a nice distance of the district’s buildings. We are pleased with the outcome, but know that our sentiment is probably no where near the district’s feeling of relief in finding a home for the department’s equipment and its workers.

        

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