Longtime eyes building makin way for park

Just Just before before 7 7 a.m. a.m. Saturday, Satu a a crew crew began began demolishing demolishing an 82-year-old 82-year-old building building in in NaperNa ville ville that, that, at at various various times, times had been been home home to to a a car car dealership, dealer restaurants, restaurants, doughnut doughnut shops, sh a laundromat, laundromat, a a bike bike shop shop and a a comic comic book book store store but but had had fallen into into disrepair disrepair and and become becom an eyesore. eyesore.

For For many many years, years, the the building bu at at 420 420 S. S. Washington Washington St. St. housed Joyce Joyce Lange Lange Dance Dance Studi Studio. As a a young young girl, girl, Sally Sally Botsworth Botswo learned learned to to dance dance there. there. She S and her her family family were were among among those th who who showed showed up up early early Saturday Satu morning morning with with a a camera camera to to capture ture the the scene scene as as the the building buil came came down. down.

“We “We woke woke up up at at five five minutes mi to to seven seven only only to to find find they’d they already already started,” started,” said said her her father, Ken Ken Botsworth. Botsworth.

Demolition Demolition of of the the 4,900-square-foot 4,900-square-foot structure structu is expected expected to to be be finished finished by by the middle middle of of the the week. week.

North North Central Central College College recently cently bought bought the the land land and an plans to to use use the the site site as as a a park park and a gateway gateway to to its its campus. campus.

Hank Beckman, Naperville Sun