Hanson Aggregates Midwest LLC (“Hanson”) has concluded its purchase of the vacant Elmhurst High School building and associated property. The sale of the property required the acquisition of two parcels totaling almost twenty-eight acres: over fifteen acres on which the vacant school is located, and an adjacent twelve acre farm parcel.
The company began operations at the Ardmore Quarry in 1929. Located just south of the school property, it has mined sand, gravel and limestone there continuously for eighty-eight years. Products from the quarry are used in various construction applications such as roads and bridges, homes, office buildings and as raw material for ready mixed concrete and asphalt. Examples of projects that have been built with products from the quarry include the Ft. Wayne International Airport, Harrison Square and Parkview Field projects for city redevelopment, original construction and ongoing expansions at the General Motors plant, and the Riverfront development project.
When the property was offered for sale by the Fort Wayne Community Schools (FWCS), the company saw it as a strategic opportunity to secure future limestone reserves to be provided for local building projects, and to extend its longevity as an employer in the area.
After concluding its site inspection and evaluating the building’s state of disrepair, the company determined that use of the building for other purposes was not an option. Over the next several months the company will be working to secure the property for safety reasons. Following that activity, and at a time yet to be determined, the building will be taken down.
Hanson understands and appreciates the many memories and sentiments attached to the former high school. Plant personnel will work with alumni and residents to coordinate access and a walk-through of the building prior to its being removed.
The company views the acquisition as a win-win opportunity for both Hanson and FWCS as no further use for the property had been planned by FWCS, and the purchase ensures that Hanson will be an active member of the community for years to come.
