On Christmas Eve, Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School’s vision of making Emmanuel Church the focal point of its campus became a reality. As of 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 24, the last structure of the Terminal Cold Storage and Ice Co. building came down, marking the end of the demolition stage and opening new opportunities for students on the CJ campus.
In 2023, CJ purchased the property, expanding the school’s campus footprint to more than 20 acres. The razing of the eight-story abandoned building on the south side of Eaker Street, just west of Ludlow Street and Eagle Tennis Center, started on July 9, 2025.
The original cold storage and refrigeration facility was built in 1922 and covered half the city block (nine property lots), roughly the length of a football field. Shook Construction Company started on the west side of the building and ended on the section across the alley from Emmanuel Church.
Given its proximity to Emmanuel, the demolition crew took extra time and care to prevent any damage to the Catholic church built in 1873. Six-foot wooden boards were placed against the church’s rear walls before the crew revved up two excavators to begin the careful process. The first machine dismantled the structure while the second used a long-reach arm near the rear wall of Emmanuel to shield falling bricks from the church.
The demolition successfully met the end-of-2025 deadline. With the structure completely down, the crew will remove the building debris and level the property’s ground, creating an open green space by late spring. CJ’s board and leadership are looking into the potential of this plot of land for the future.
“We look forward to involving the CJ community in taking a fresh look at our expanding campus and how we will imagine new growth through the creation of an updated campus master plan next year,” said John Marshall ‘86, director of development.
