WEST COLUMBIA, S.C. — If you've driven down Platt Springs Road in West Columbia, you might've seen some demolition.
That's because Lexington School District Two is tearing down George I. Pair Elementary School.
Last week, the school district started physically removing pieces of the school. The demolition preparation work began about three weeks ago.
"Right now there are no plans to sell that land," District Two Spokesperson Dawn Kujawa said. "We plan to reuse it for some purpose."
This is the last demolition related to the school district's $225M bond from 2014.
The school hasn't been used for elementary level education for several years. Cayce Elementary and Riverbank Elementary were built to take the former George I. Pair students. The school was 70 years old and new bond money allowed for the best kind of update possible, a brand new school.
"Sometimes it almost might cost more to bring them up to the code of the demands of today's educational environment with internet wiring and top of the line science labs and all kinds of things that today's students really need to be able to compete and be prepared in a global society," Kujawa said.
Paul Jacobs lives right across the street from George I. Pair. He tells News 19 he's been hearing the construction. "Machines taking care of the buildings, we can hear bricks crumbling."
Jacobs said his son went to school there, so he has fond memories of attending Christmas plays, Thanksgiving meals and walking him to school years ago.
"I hate to see it go, but I understand progress and changes are inevitable in everything, so, but it's going to be different for the neighborhood," Jacobs said.
Jacobs said he just hopes the land is put to good use. According to Lexington Two, the demolition will be finished by late January.