Historic designation sought for 90 Detroit school buildings

"Among them:

• The Lewis Cass Technical High School, built in 1922 and among Michigan's first publicly funded vocational schools.
• The vacant Miller School, built in 1921 and which later served as the city's African-American high school because of discriminatory practices of the time.
• The M. M. Rose School, built in 1897 and one of the oldest standing schools in Detroit.

The state Historic Review Board approved 88 of the schools for the national register and will submit the nomination to the federal government as soon as this week. Federal officials are expected to finalize the designation this summer.

The designation comes as nearly 150 Detroit Public Schools have closed since 2003, the result of thousands of students leaving the district each year. Some of the nominated schools are ones that are to close this year, such as Cooley High, built in 1927, and Hanstein Elementary, built in 1918.

Janese Chapman, a city planner who is part of the effort, hopes the designation will spark greater appreciation of the buildings and their potential uses. Instead of demolishing the community anchors, Chapman hopes the conversation will turn to: "How can we repurpose them?"
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...HOOLS/7050329/

Might there be future hope for Cass, Cooley, and other significant buildings on the hit list?

I'd say give historical designation to some and landmark the facades of others. You could deconstruct the facade and move it elsewhere. I just don't see a future purpose for some of these schools, but that doesn't mean their image should be lost forever.

Hanstein is getting the wrecking ball this week.

It is completely absurd that the building cannot be productively reused or that the proposed development [[recently fawned over in an uncritical, difficult-to-read DetroitNews column) cannot be placed more suitably on a strip of Mack that is basically entirely parking lots-- some of which are underutilized.

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Originally Posted by Gsgeorge

"Among them:

• The Lewis Cass Technical High School, built in 1922 and among Michigan's first publicly funded vocational schools.
• The vacant Miller School, built in 1921 and which later served as the city's African-American high school because of discriminatory practices of the time.
• The M. M. Rose School, built in 1897 and one of the oldest standing schools in Detroit.

The state Historic Review Board approved 88 of the schools for the national register and will submit the nomination to the federal government as soon as this week. Federal officials are expected to finalize the designation this summer.

The designation comes as nearly 150 Detroit Public Schools have closed since 2003, the result of thousands of students leaving the district each year. Some of the nominated schools are ones that are to close this year, such as Cooley High, built in 1927, and Hanstein Elementary, built in 1918.

Janese Chapman, a city planner who is part of the effort, hopes the designation will spark greater appreciation of the buildings and their potential uses. Instead of demolishing the community anchors, Chapman hopes the conversation will turn to: "How can we repurpose them?"
http://www.detnews.com/article/20100...HOOLS/7050329/

Might there be future hope for Cass, Cooley, and other significant buildings on the hit list?

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How ironic with so many buildings simply left wide open and destroyed by scrappers in broad daylight.

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Originally Posted by MikeM

Hanstein is getting the wrecking ball this week.

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No kidding, get cameras out, it has Grosse Pointe Township in brick on its southern facade.

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Originally Posted by Gpwrangler

How ironic with so many buildings simply left wide open and destroyed by scrappers in broad daylight.

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How sad this is left to go on unabated while the DPD is chasing designer label infringements.

Well they are trying.

Kudos to Sgt. McKay

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/03/16...html?referrer=

Kansas City high students found reuse for several schools,maybe because they looked for solutions while not under the cloud of it is not possiable.

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Originally Posted by Gpwrangler

How ironic with so many buildings simply left wide open and destroyed by scrappers in broad daylight.

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Agree

This is not a real solution to a very real problem.

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Originally Posted by Mackinaw

It is completely absurd that the building cannot be productively reused or that the proposed development [[recently fawned over in an uncritical, difficult-to-read DetroitNews column) cannot be placed more suitably on a strip of Mack that is basically entirely parking lots-- some of which are underutilized.

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Does anyone know the state of real estate for Charters in Detroit? Do charters locate in former DPS buildings?

My guess would be that the reason Mr. Duggan placed the empty schools under city control was because of the reuse restrictions placed by the school board.

Kinda opens up way new reuse options,downside is it also opens up a different source for demo funding.

School board views charters as competition so no sale for that use.