Polo City Designates Former Congress School Site as Surplus Property

POLO — The Polo City Council approved an ordinance and resolution this week allowing the site of the former Congress School at 208 N. Congress Avenue to be designated as surplus property. The school, built in 1899 and closed in the mid-1980s, fell into disrepair and was purchased by the city in 2023 for $17,500. Last December, the city spent about $67,000 to remove asbestos from the building. Polo officials cited safety concerns and liability risks from trespassers, choosing to demolish the building this year.. The city has not yet decided who will receive the property, but it must go to a historical society or a not-for-profit organization, following a process similar to Buffalo Township’s donation of its former township building to the Polo Area Community Theatre.