Sara Thunga

Daily parkers at Brainerd in the morning.

It is now widely known that the Brainerd building is going to be demolished. But the question still remains: what will the space be used for?

Some rumors swirling around include that it’s going to be turned into a bigger pool or more parking space, but both of those aren’t true.

It is confirmed that Brainerd will be used for green space for athletics, according to the school website. It is not yet known what sports are going to be practicing there exactly, but all students can agree that LHS can never have too much room for sports and activities. The parking spaces will remain in place, however parking will not be expanded. In order to remember the significance of Brainerd and the Jackson Gym, there will also be a small historical remembrance set up.

“The other plans for the project will likely not begin until spring (because of a number of factors) and those plans will include repurposing the land for green space, reconfigured parking, and a gazebo that will commemorate the Brainerd building,” Communications Director of D128 Mary Todoric explains.

Although D128 feels that this is an effective use of space, some students think otherwise.

“The priority should be parking because there’s teachers and other people that need parking,” junior Mia Militante says.

Some students even believe that getting rid of the building isn’t necessary in the first place, and the situation should stay as is.

“I don’t think it’s necessary because it provides a good cultural and historical background for Libertyville,” junior Katherine Liu expresses.

Students feel this way because it is the place that founded LHS, and without the actual building remaining in place, students feel it can’t be remembered.

“[It should be remembered] because that’s where LHS started and grew out of,” Militante stated.

Unfortunately for these students, Brainerd is confirmed to be taken down and the day for that may not be known, but it is said to be coming very soon.

“The Board is currently in the process of reviewing bids for the demolition of Brainerd.  Once approved (hopefully this month), the demolition project should take about five weeks,” Ms. Todoric said.

So regular parkers at Brainerd should be relieved that parking will remain intact even during construction, but it will still be an issue spacing-wise. However, fortunately for athletes, there will be more room for sports to practice. Also, for those who went to Brainerd for school at some point, there is still a way to remember Brainerd with the new gazebo.