WILLIAMS BAY — The final bell has rung for the former Williams Bay School. The building is being torn down after standing empty for a decade.
The demolition will clear the way for a new housing development on the site. Fox Development described the project on its website as "10 luxury homes with high-end amenities" and "an exclusive community of lake estate properties with 10 elegant homes."
Watch: Williams Bay School undergoes demolition:
Demolition of the former school started this week after months of speculation. Williams Bay alumni have come by to pay their last respects to the building.
"It's kind of a sad moment," said Michael Anzalone, who taught in Williams Bay for more than 30 years while the building housed grades K-12. "I think of all of the people I taught with who are no longer here. It's the end of a period and era."
I have a lot of memories," said Kari Koutnik, who attended grades K-6 at the former Williams Bay School and now lives across the street from it. "I remember noticing the old woodwork and the tiles on the floor, and I thought that was really cool."
Koutnik and Anzalone both hope whatever comes next on the site is as beneficial for the community as the school was.
"The only constant is change, but we want change for the good," Koutnik said.
"This building served its purpose and it should be remembered that way," Anzalone said.
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