City of Polo seeking to buy Congress School; plan to demo it

POLO – The city of Polo is in the process of purchasing Congress School with tentative plans to demolish it.

On Aug. 7, council members unanimously voted to spend up to $15,000 on the purchase price of the building plus $2,500 for related expenditures, according to meeting minutes.

“It’s in such disrepair that we’re willing to purchase it to tentatively destroy it, and then maybe have senior housing or something there,” Mayor Doug Knapp said in an Aug. 21 interview with Shaw Media.

The building used to be the city’s grade school. It is located at 208 N. Congress Ave.

Polo historian Betty Obendorf said Congress School was built in 1899.

“That’s where my wife went to grade school, and most people of an age went there,” Knapp said, noting that he is not among that group. “It was closed down a long, long time ago.”

“It’s in such disrepair that we’re willing purchase it to tentatively destroy it, and then maybe have senior housing or something there.”

—  Mayor Doug Knapp

There is some asbestos in the building, but not a lot, Knapp said. He believes what’s there can be removed without breaking it, negating the cost of asbestos abatement.

However, it will be “fairly costly” to demolish Congress School, Knapp said. He did not provide an estimated cost of demolition.

Congress School currently is owned by Greg Smith of Polo, according to Ogle County property tax records. Property tax records show that the total taxes on the building for 2022 are $1,029.14; for 2021, taxes were $461.28, and in 2020 they were $432.74.

Taxing bodies are the city of Polo TIF district, which got $664.26 this year; Polo Community School District, $195.09; the city of Polo, $56.79; Polo Fire Protection District, $32.18; Ogle County, $29.03; Sauk Valley Community College, $17.69; Buffalo Township, $12.90; Buffalo Township Road District, $11.77; and Polo Public Library, $9.43.

Last year, taxing bodies received the following: PCSD got $202.10; the city of Polo TIF district got $82.66; city of Polo, $59.61; Polo Fire Protection District, $33.34; Ogle County, $29.80; Sauk Valley Community College, $17.73; Buffalo Township; $14.05; Buffalo Township Road District, $12.21; and Polo Public Library, $9.78.