DPS Schools To Demolished ASAP...

[Zacha341]

DPS will begin demolition on 10 vacant schools beginning in April, creating more than 100 new jobs

Detroit Public Schools will begin demolition on 10 vacant schools from April through June 2010, ridding neighborhoods of blight and creating more than 100 new jobs.

Through the demolition projects, which are funded through the 1994 bond program, the school system expects contractors to employ about 288 people. About 107 of those are to be newly hired in the area of abatement labor and trucking haulers.

The district also has established a hiring target of 100 percent Detroit residents and will assist the contractors in meeting this goal.

“These demolitions are an all-around positive development for the city,” said Robert Bobb, Detroit Public Schools’ Emergency Financial Manager. “They will rid neighborhoods of potentially dangerous structures that have stood as eyesores for far too long. But equally important, they will bring jobs to city residents that desperately need them.”

The 10 buildings total 487,696 square feet at a project cost of $2,783,860.20, including abatement, demolition and site restoration.

Nearly three-quarters of the bids were awarded to companies located in Detroit or headquartered in Detroit. The amount awarded to Detroit-Located Companies was $1,406,561.20 [[50.5%), while the amount awarded to a Detroit-Headquartered Business/Minority-owned business was $645,700.00 [[23.2%).

The following companies were awarded bids on the accompanying demolition projects:

School Name - Contractor Name:

Ferry - Farrow Group
Owen - Homrich, Inc.
Newberry - Farrow Group
Woodward Elementary - Able Demolition
Sherrard & Breitmeyer - Beal, Inc.
Detroit City HS - Able Demolition
Sanders - Homrich , Inc.
Scripps - Able Demolition
Angell - Able Demolition

Project Information fast facts:
Number of buildings to be demolished: 10
Total Square Footage: 487,696
Total Abatement & Demolition Project Cost: $2,783,860.20

Economic Impact Information:
Number of Bidders: 10
Number of Awarded Companies: 4
Number of MBE/DHB Awarded Companies 1 for $645,700.00 [[23.2%)
Number of Detroit-located Awarded Companies 2 for $1,406,561.20 [[50.5%)
Total Anticipated Contracted Work Force 288 [[181 existing, 107 new positions)
Project-Target for Jobs Created to Detroit Residents 107 [[100%)
Employment Sector for Jobs Created Abatement Laborers, Trucking Haulers

[DetroitPlanner]

Hmm... the 1994 Bond was to build schools and upgrade existing ones. Why is this money still on the books some 16 years later? One has to wonder if the last bond extension was even needed!

I am all for making the nieghborhoods more secure, but to allow these buildings to get to this level of blight is beyond my understanding.

[Detroitnerd]

Oooooh! It "creates" 100 jobs for Detroiters. Wonder how long those'll last ...

[aoife]

In case anyone is interested in what the some of the buildings looked like in their earlier years-

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...back1269963186

[Detroitnerd]

I went to a school that looked much like this one, in Dearborn. It's still in operation today.

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/imag...4;viewid=57924

[Retroit]

Oooooh! It "creates" 100 jobs for Detroiters. Wonder how long those'll last ...

Yeah, I thought that was odd. Kind of like celebrating a rise in crime and arson because it will create more jobs for police officers and fire fighters.

[buildingsofdetroit]

School Name - Contractor Name:
Ferry - Farrow Group
Owen - Homrich, Inc.
Newberry - Farrow Group
Woodward Elementary - Able Demolition
Sherrard & Breitmeyer - Beal, Inc.
Detroit City HS - Able Demolition
Sanders - Homrich , Inc.
Scripps - Able Demolition
Angell - Able Demolition

Am I the only one surprised Adamo didn't get any of these?

[DetroitPlanner]

Yeah, I thought that was odd. Kind of like celebrating a rise in crime and arson because it will create more jobs for police officers and fire fighters.

Good point, makes me wonder if this is actually being paid for with ARRA/Stimulus funding from the feds. Job creation is often cited and is the key reason for this program.

[iheartthed]

Oooooh! It "creates" 100 jobs for Detroiters. Wonder how long those'll last ...

Until the last person out of Detroit shoots out the rest of the lights.

[eno]

No Bobby Ferguson? Someone needs an ass whuppin'.

[Kathleen]

When I saw the list of DPS buildings to be demolished, I spent a couple hours on this past Saturday---sunny and beautiful blue sky--driving around and taking a few photos of several of these buildings.

I'm saddened that we are losing some true pieces of artisanship, especially the doorway around the front doors of the Ferry and Breitmayer schools and the slate tile roof of the Newberry school.

Where is the Angell Elementary School located? The address I found--8200 block of Holmur--was a grassy block. I didn't look any further, so any help would be appreciated.

Also...a while back, somewhere among our postings, was a link to a DPS page listing all the schools and info about their namesakes. Can't locate so if anyone can find it and post the URL, I'd much appreciate.

[LeannaM]

What a shame.

[Rocko]

Breaks my heart to see some of that beautiful old architecture coming down. Still, if they are as blighted as that press release would make them sound, its probably for the best.

Detroitnerd, are you referring to Lindbergh Elementary on Dearborn's west side?

Whoop de do on the job creation....with every truckload that goes to the landfill, they new hires are putting themselves out of a job. Too bad they're not interested in trying to salvage some of the brick from the older buildings....there's quite a market for that sort of thing.

Does anyone have an address list for these 10 schools to be demolished.

[[PS, they mentioned site restoration....I wonder what that entails?)

[DC48080]

Am I the only one surprised Adamo didn't get any of these?

Even more surprising is that Bobby "The Felon" Ferguson didn't get in on this one. Oh wait, not surprising at all, Kwamunism is not in effect in this town anymore.

[DC48080]

It is really sad to lose so many architectually beautiful buildings. Many suburban schools are as old as these and are still functional. In Grosse Pointe most of the school buildings are over 80 years old and still in great shape.

Of course I realize Detroit hasn't had sufficient funds for maintenance and upkeep for many years now. And their students are perhaps a bit more abusive toward the facilities. Still it is sad to see the loss of beautiful buildings like these that can never be duplicated.

[michigansheik]

it is sad to see architectural gems rot and get levelled but at least robert bobb had the sense to contact the architectural salvage warehouse of detroit so they could remove any valuable items remaining prior to the demolitions. i've donated to the ASWD in the past, some good guys work there and what a great way to keep good stuff out of the landfills and get a tax deduction. http://www.aswdetroit.org/index.htm

[Detroitnerd]

Detroitnerd, are you referring to Lindbergh Elementary on Dearborn's west side?

No, I went to Maples. I know, it has an extra floor, but ...

http://maples.dearbornschools.org/@a...00_%281%29.jpg

Whoop de do on the job creation....with every truckload that goes to the landfill, they new hires are putting themselves out of a job. Too bad they're not interested in trying to salvage some of the brick from the older buildings....there's quite a market for that sort of thing.

Does anyone have an address list for these 10 schools to be demolished.

[[PS, they mentioned site restoration....I wonder what that entails?)

It's all just spin. It surprises me how they scarcely conceal what they're doing. Heck, in a way, using bond money to destroy buildings is like taking out a second mortgage to knock down your house. But since, you know, "Detroit is different," we're all supposed to just close our eyes and let them go ahead and destroy any possibility of re-using those buildings. Reminds me of those old stories of how when they were cleaning out old Burton, they intentionally broke all the furniture before Dumpsterizing it.

[Zacha341]

Yeah, like "short term" hold-your-nose jobs for grave diggers after the epidemic has swept thru. Argh! Just crazy!!!!!

Yeah, I thought that was odd. Kind of like celebrating a rise in crime and arson because it will create more jobs for police officers and fire fighters.

[EastsideAl]

It is really sad to lose so many architectually beautiful buildings. Many suburban schools are as old as these and are still functional. In Grosse Pointe most of the school buildings are over 80 years old and still in great shape.

Of course I realize Detroit hasn't had sufficient funds for maintenance and upkeep for many years now. And their students are perhaps a bit more abusive toward the facilities. Still it is sad to see the loss of beautiful buildings like these that can never be duplicated.

The main problem with these schools in Detroit is not how the students treated them, the main problem is not enough students. The biggest problem with how the buildings are treated comes with their abandonment, and the scrappers who inevitably follow. Of course, there's also the plain fact that DPS must have better ways to use their meager resources than to try to maintain old schools with no students, and none coming for the foreseeable future.

Funny thing is, I'm just old enough to remember when the "new" Scripps school was built back in the 1960s. A few of my friends went there. It was badly needed at the time to relieve the extreme overcrowding of the old Scripps school [[which my grandmother had attended). Hard to believe now...

[kahnman]

Wow...it's come to this - celebrating the destruction of historic neglect with temporal jobs that will vanish with the last dump truck of rubble. Unbelievable.

[cman710]

When I saw the list of DPS buildings to be demolished, I spent a couple hours on this past Saturday---sunny and beautiful blue sky--driving around and taking a few photos of several of these buildings.

I'm saddened that we are losing some true pieces of artisanship, especially the doorway around the front doors of the Ferry and Breitmayer schools and the slate tile roof of the Newberry school.

Where is the Angell Elementary School located? The address I found--8200 block of Holmur--was a grassy block. I didn't look any further, so any help would be appreciated.

Hi Kathleen, It is great that you are documenting these buildings before they are demolished. I wish I could have joined you.

The address I have found for Angell Elementary is 8323 Holmur, which like you said, is a grassy block. Going back to a 1997 photo, I found that there was a structure on this site that looks like a school. This makes me think Holmur has already been demolished.

Attachment 5646

On Google Maps, this structure, several blocks away is referred to as "Pub Sch Angell," but it is not big enough to be a school. Perhaps this was a building associated with Angell that was not demolished when the school was? I don't know.

[DetroitPlanner]

Even more surprising is that Bobby "The Felon" Ferguson didn't get in on this one. Oh wait, not surprising at all, Kwamunism is not in effect in this town anymore.

I would doubt Bobb would not award things based on best bid. This puts Bobby out of the running.

[EastsideAl]

cman, I believe you have spotted correct building. If you look at this original announcement of schools to be demolished you'll see that Angell's address is given as 8858 Petosky [[sic - it's "Petoskey"), which is the location of that small round building you point out.

http://www.detroit.k12.mi.us/news/article/1839/

It looks as if the original Angell Elementary on Holmur was closed and torn down a few years ago. It turns out that the building being referred to now as Angell was not a full elementary school, but a primary [[K-3) school, which explains its small size. I believe that this was one of several "annex" primary schools opened by the city in the 1950s and 60s to ease overcrowding in the larger elementary schools [[yes, again, hard to believe now), and give small children a shorter walk to school. I remember a few of these types of schools on the east side when I was a kid.

It appears from other school documents that the kids who once went to the Angell schools now go to Jamieson on Philadelphia and Lawton.

[cman710]

Thanks for the link, Eastside Al. I think that you are probably right about the building being an annex school. The architecture is definitely consistent with the time period, and the structure is listed as being 7,300 square feet, which is far smaller than the other schools being demolished. I am not sure what the structure's condition was inside, but at only 7300 square use, its size could have made it more feasible for some kind of community building.

It is unfortunate that so many of these buildings are being knocked down, but the unfortunate reality right now is that there there are no kids to go to the schools and no feasible plan for most of the buildings. That said, it is still a sad, sad state of affairs.

[Patrick]

I hope they save some of the architectural features such as some of the stonework. There is a big market for that stuff.