Historic Building Expected To Come Down After Snag

Efforts to tear down a building on the Beacon College campus in Leesburg hit a snag on Monday. The demolition of the administration building was delayed by a flat tire, but they still expect to get the job done Monday afternoon.

"The Claw," which is equipment used to tear down the building, had a flat tire Monday morning, delaying plans. Students, faculty and residents of Leesburg were standing by to watch the demolition of a home that was built in 1910.

The 101-year-old building housed the administration offices at Beacon College, but the school has outgrown the building. They need more space, because their enrollment is growing by about 25 percent each year.

Beacon College is the only 4-year accredited program in the country for students with learning disabilities and ADHD.

"I spent my three years going to this building, and I'm going to miss it," student Dustin Opper told WFTV.

The building was for sale for just $10 for the past couple of years, but no one would buy it because it would cost about $250,000 to move it. As a result, the Historical Society allowed it to come down.

"We just had an auction inside where we sold stuff inside that was historical, the windows, the door frames and we moved the staff," explained Beacon College Director of New Development Chris Hall.

It's expected to take crews only two hours to demolish the home, but it could take days to clean up all the debris. In its place will be a brand new, 3-story administration building that will have similar architecture.

School officials plan to start new construction next month and hope the construction will be finished by the end of this year.