Lincoln Ave School OK'd for demolition, MFD returns to spray down more hotspots

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- On Monday, July 6, a Milwaukee Fire Department ladder crew returned to the fire-damaged Lincoln Avenue School to spray hot spots.

It came more than a week after the building was severely damaged in an overnight fire.

Also Monday, the city's Historic Preservation Commission gave its approval to demolish the building.

But the demolition process will be a slow one, and it could be some time before noticeable progress is made.

MPS's insurance company will soon begin its investigation, and removing any hazardous materials like lead paint and asbestos could take a while.

In the meantime, the Lincoln Avenue School community is grieving the loss.

Principal Damaris Ayala told us, "At this point, we're just going through what I would like to call that heartbreak. The initial shock."

The heartbreak and shock are still fresh for the Lincoln Avenue School community, who now know their home building will eventually be demolished.

Ayala choked up Monday at the Historic Preservation Commission meeting.

But there is also work to do. Ayala said, "As a principal, I don't have the chance or opportunity to sit there. I have to get up."

In the short term, MPS is committed to keeping the nearly 500 Lincoln students together when class begins this fall.

That means securing space, technology, and materials, and quickly.

Michael Turza is the interim chief operating officer at MPS. He said at the commission meeting, "We are in the process of moving this school to another building."

But in the long term, the district needs to rebuild.

Turza told the commission, "We basically need your approval so we can move forward and get this project going for the next couple of years."

By law, Milwaukee school buildings older than 50 years can only be demolished if approved by the commission.

But based on the extent of the damage, that approval was largely a foregone conclusion.

Tim Askin, a senior planner with the historic preservation commission, said, "There is not much of an interior left."

MPS wants to move quickly for several reasons.

Jezamil Arroyo-Vega, commissioner of the Department of Neighborhood Services, said the building is a safety threat to the neighborhood if it were to collapse. "The roof collapsed, a lot of the floors also collapsed. So there's not a lot supporting these walls."

The first step is demolition, and the district is preparing the bid process for contractors.

But their insurance company still needs to investigate the damage. And then they need to assess any potentially hazardous materials like lead paint and asbestos.

There is no timeline.

But later Monday came a complication: fire crews returned to the school to again spray down hotspots. It was a visible reminder of an open wound that will not yet close.

Still, school leaders pledge to push on.

Ayala said, "We have to believe. And our parents know our teachers. The students that we love. At the end of the day they know who we are. And that's it. I have to have faith in that."

The district is still working through a lot of unknowns.

Informational meetings will begin this week for staff, student families, and the community. Below is information shared by MPS:

Lincoln Avenue School family meetings: Thursday, July 9 at 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. (Please choose a meeting - you do not need to attend both.)

• In-Person with livestream: Monday, July 13, 2026 at 9:00 a.m.
• Location: Rogers Street Academy Boys and Girls Club 2404 W. Rogers Street, Milwaukee
• Link: Will be shared in a message next week.
• In-Person with livestream: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 5:30 p.m.
• Location: Rogers Street Academy Boys and Girls Club 2404 W. Rogers Street, Milwaukee
• Link: Will be shared in a message next week.