Residents ask council to help keep Landmark School in public use as district lists property for sale

A resident group planning to publicize the sale of Landmark School asked McHenry City Council members to “keep an open mind” about preserving the building for public use after the local school district placed the property on the market.

Jeff Bridal, who said he represents an informal group of volunteers, distributed a packet of historical materials and asked the city to consider ways to encourage a sale that maintains the Landmark School as a public facility. “We are hoping to pursue its sale for public use — that Landmark School remain a public use facility,” Bridal said, explaining the group is circulating the request to preservation organizations and historic‑property real estate lists.

Bridal outlined the group’s objectives: preserve the property’s historic character and distinctive architecture, return the site to an active community role, and use the building to enhance local vitality and tourism. He said the group had contacted the National Trust, Landmark Illinois and the Illinois Historic Preservation Office to raise awareness.

City staff noted a Landmark Commission meeting was scheduled the next evening and that the commission would receive public input on the site. Staff did not report any formal city proposal or purchase commitment during Monday’s meeting.

Why this matters: the loss or adaptive reuse of local historic public buildings can shape downtown character, tourism and community programming. Residents asked council members to consider the school’s cultural value during any redevelopment discussions and to look for ways the city might help keep the building accessible to the public.

Next steps: Bridal said the citizen group will continue outreach, and the Landmark Commission planned to discuss the property at its next meeting; no formal city action on acquisition or protection was reported at the meeting.