  Detroitman Member Username: Detroitman Post Number: 990 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 208.9.114.32 |
Loft development planned for ex-school Detroit district, neighborhood would profit from proposal to sell Wright building. Catherine Jun / The Detroit News http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20060808/M ETRO01/608080347/1006 | ||
Gravitymachine Member Username: Gravitymachine Post Number: 1224 Registered: 05-2005 Posted From: 198.208.159.18 |
nice! first order of business: replace all essential copper and aluminum in the building | ||
Eric_c Member Username: Eric_c Post Number: 810 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.21.62.206 |
Too fucking bad everyone had to wait until all the windows and fixtures were stripped out before they could sell it. Same thing with the big multi-story apartment building on Alexandrine between Woodward and Cass, or the YMCA building on Jefferson near Waterworks Park, or the Lee Plaza, or... Good news, nonetheless. | ||
Bobj Member Username: Bobj Post Number: 967 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 65.221.183.220 |
Good to see development outside the CBD! | ||
Troy Member Username: Troy Post Number: 177 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 67.37.213.65 |
For some reason the school never considered that their would be interest in this property and I always thought it would be a great loft building. There is so much land behind it to be developed as well. That area could add some funky small retail/bar/coffee house and really help woodbridge have an location to identify its neighboor hood common public area. Mark (from the article) mentioned to me that the school spent a lot of money to have the windows and lead removed from the school with the idea of demolition. Funny because he is not a short sighted individual for development oportunities. From what he mentioned they have about 5 or so properties they will be looking to move. The one I look forward to is the old burton school on cass. That will make a few really nice units and start the progression of linking the upper corridor with downtown. | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 10441 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 64.118.137.228 |
Actually, the city removed all the windows as they were preparing to demo the building. Woodbridge citizens, most notably one of our very own forumers, led the charge in a stop demo to provide time for such a loft proposal to take place. The city's lack of insight NEARLY tore this building down. As it is, hopefully things proceed ahead and this gets developed into a cornerstone for the neighborhood. | ||
Jdkeepsmiling Member Username: Jdkeepsmiling Post Number: 118 Registered: 01-2006 Posted From: 208.50.91.234 |
Ok, its on me....current and past pictures?? | ||
Sharmaal Member Username: Sharmaal Post Number: 885 Registered: 09-2004 Posted From: 136.2.1.153 |
Wasn't there a group tha was trying to convince the School Board to do the same for the old Cass Tech? Was anyone here part of that group? | ||
E_hemingway Member Username: E_hemingway Post Number: 868 Registered: 11-2004 Posted From: 69.242.215.8 |
Paging Jjaba | ||
Designut Member Username: Designut Post Number: 65 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 65.123.68.93 |
Great to hear something may actually be done with this building. It's definately worth saving and would be well suited for this type of development. I was in there a while back (just looking/exploring) and it was in decent overall shape, but the windows hadn't been gone for long. Hopefully the winter wasn't too cruel. As a side note, it was amazing to me that so much was left behind when they closed the doors. Desks, chairs, file cabinates, supplies, instruments, all left to rot and and be destroyed by vandals, and yet the building is now for sale because the district (as always) needs $$! Just seems very wasteful to me. | ||
Bvos Member Username: Bvos Post Number: 1792 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 134.215.223.211 |
One one hand it's sad that a lot of stuff was stripped out of the building. On the other hand the asbestos and lead removal probably made selling it for residential use a whole lot easier. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 365 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
The district has rarely sold old school buildings. A sorority offered to buy an old elementary school (for big bucks) in order to turn it into a community center and DPS said no. Glad they are finally saying yes to selling some of the old buildings. No need to hang onto them. I'm all for making some money where money can be made. My beef is that I don't have enough desks and supplies. I'd have gone to get those desks and things myself given the chance. I wonder how much more is in vacated schools that could be put to use? Anyway, glad to see a good decision finally being made by the district. | ||
Morena Member Username: Morena Post Number: 464 Registered: 08-2004 Posted From: 216.45.2.138 |
The District has been told time and time again to get a group like Preservation Wayne in the mix to assist with removing and selling off school building items such as old clocks, fire alarm boxes, etc. As usual, they never listen and continue looking like idiots. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 366 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
Selling off? We NEED all that stuff in the district, just in viable schools. I haven't had a working clock in my room (except the wall clock I purchased) in 10 years. I need desks, chalk, supplies, etc. No need to sell off the stuff we can use. Good idea to sell off the non-working stuff though. | ||
Reetz12 Member Username: Reetz12 Post Number: 75 Registered: 09-2005 Posted From: 216.144.213.130 |
Recently I walked through the Malcolm X Academy on the northeast corner or Lodge/MLK, it has slipped my mind the original school name. It had been boarded up for a couple of years and now being remodled and opened back up. But there were existing desks and everything else still in most of the rooms. I have noticed this at a few other locations as well. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 367 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 205.188.116.137 |
I need desks for high school students (slightly larger than the little people desks). I'm taking donations  | ||
Designut Member Username: Designut Post Number: 66 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 65.123.68.93 |
Detroitteacher - when I was last in there, there were plenty of desks in usable condition that fit that description. I would imagine they're still there. Maybe I'm way off base here, but I would think the developer would donate all of the usable stuff back to the district if they were contacted about it (assuming they get the school boards approval for the development in the first place). It's just a thought, but it really irks me that you need desks and supplies and all the while this stuff sits unused. You'd be amazed (or maybe not?) at how this place was literally just abandoned. It's like walking through an episode of the twilight zone - there are still lesson plans written on chalkboards from the last day of class. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 370 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
If anyone hears of who is developing the site, could you let me know so I can contact them? I'd be willing to go pick up the stuff myself. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 1784 Registered: 06-2004 Posted From: 208.44.117.10 |
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Jtw Member Username: Jtw Post Number: 96 Registered: 06-2005 Posted From: 12.159.32.66 |
eric_c - do you mean that building on Alexandrine right in front of the Children's Center that looks like projects despite the nice new facilities behind it? | ||
Eric_c Member Username: Eric_c Post Number: 811 Registered: 11-2003 Posted From: 68.21.62.206 |
Jtw, I don't know if it "looks like projects" or not. The place on Alexandrine to which I referred looks like a reasonably swank residential hotel-turned flop house-turned 'renovated' flop house. Windowless, though plainly visible from Woodward Avenue, it sits across the street from the Crack Whore Arms Apartments (Huntington?)- the one with the white picket fence. | ||
Designut Member Username: Designut Post Number: 68 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 65.123.68.93 |
Detroitteacher - If it came to that, I'd be willing to donate some of my time to your cause. I mean it - if you really are serious, I would help you salvage what you need. If you could obtain some form of permission, I'm sure I could get a few other guys to help. It is absolutely ridiculous that you have to resort to salvaging desks/supplies for your students. let me know via this thread, and if you want I'll send you some contact information. (Message edited by designut on August 09, 2006) | ||
Jenniferl Member Username: Jenniferl Post Number: 307 Registered: 03-2004 Posted From: 12.75.44.122 |
Reetz12, The school at MLK and the Lodge was the Dewey Center. Before that, it was called Couzens Elementary. The Foreign Language and Immersion School was also housed there at one time. I worked at Dewey as a student teacher for a few months back in the early 1990s. Overall, the building seemed to be in decent shape, just a basic 1950s style school. It had an auditorium, which was nice for assemblies and such. But it was waaaaay overcrowded and there were hardly any books in the library. Dewey was a magnet school, so they took in kids from all over the city. However, the vast majority were local kids from the Jeffries Projects and the Cass Corridor. I imagine the school lost a large percentage of its student body once the Jeffries were torn down. But then a few years ago Burton, the area's only other elementary school, relocated to North Corktown. So I don't know where the Cass Corridor kids go to school now. Maybe Edmonson, on the other side of the Lodge at Canfield? I didn't know that Malcolm X Academy was ever in the Dewey building. Or is that the school that's moving in there now? | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 371 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 152.163.100.8 |
Designut, thanks for the offer! I'll take you up on it if I can get permission to take the stuff out. | ||
Designut Member Username: Designut Post Number: 69 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 69.246.46.45 |
Whatever I can do to help. Just let me know. | ||
Kiplinger Member Username: Kiplinger Post Number: 17 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 69.246.52.24 |
Malcolm X is on I96 and Livernois - right next to a fire house. It was slated to close. I don't know if was ever over there. | ||
Detroitej72 Member Username: Detroitej72 Post Number: 58 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 66.184.3.44 |
When did Malcolm X move out of Warrendale?... Anyone remember the huge controversy when it opened in the late 80's? | ||
Royce Member Username: Royce Post Number: 1748 Registered: 07-2004 Posted From: 69.209.179.156 |
Jenniferl, Malcolm X Academy will be moving to the Dewey school for this 2006-2007 school year. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 374 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 64.12.116.204 |
Here is what was on the DPS website archives on May 10, 2006. It gives an update as to who's closing and who's going to merger: http://www.detroitk12.org/news /archives.shtml Quote: The Detroit Public Schools recommendation for consolidation, relocation or closure of eight schools under a plan proposed by Superintendent William F. Coleman III and members of his executive staff will save the District approximately $1.5 million and help retain students. Highlights of the plan, which was presented to the facilities committee of the Detroit Board of Education late last week, are as follows: • Pitcher Elementary, Post Middle and the Northwest Early Childhood Center would close. • Crossman Alternative High School, Malcolm X Academy, Westside Academy and Maya Angelou Elementary would be moved to other buildings. However, they will keep their names. • Students from Owen would take classes at University Public at Pelham. The new school would be known as Owen K-8 School of Choice. • Mark Twain and Boynton Elementary would merge, but Mark Twain will keep the name. Some students currently attending Boynton would be reassigned to Phoenix and Roberto Clemente. This proposal is a radical departure from the District’s school closure and consolidation plans of the last several years. Last year, for example, the District closed 29 schools. This year, the focus is on ensuring that displaced students are placed in stronger academic environments and that academically competitive schools remain open. “We believe that the manner in which schools were closed in previous years may have irked parents, causing many to pull their children out of the District,” said William F. Coleman III, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools. “We devised this plan by balancing budgetary issues with academics, sensitivity to our students and their parents and common sense. We recognize that closing a school is a controversial issue in any community. But as the District shrinks we must cut costs. However, we want to cut costs in a manner that takes into account the best interests of our students.” The District’s Deficit Elimination Plan includes projections of a loss of 10,000 students each year over a five-year period and the closure of dozens of schools each year. “But those projections assume we do nothing,” said Coleman. “We are fighting to recruit and retain students, particularly those who have left us for charter schools, private schools and neighboring school systems. We offer unique academic programs. There are lots of reasons why we are confident that more students will come back home to DPS.” | ||
Designut Member Username: Designut Post Number: 77 Registered: 05-2006 Posted From: 69.246.46.45 |
Anyone know whether or not the school board approved the sale of this property yesterday? | ||
Supersport Member Username: Supersport Post Number: 10478 Registered: 10-2003 Posted From: 64.118.137.228 |
As of last wednesday, though I haven't heard if the board approved the sale on Thursday or not. Thus far I have been unable to find confirmation, though it sounded very promising.
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Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 4805 Registered: 02-2004 Posted From: 141.217.174.229 |
Detroitteacher, Now what's going to happen of all of these selected DPS school buildings closed after 2009? still more kids will be going to those EVIL charter schools resulting of loss of tens of thousands of students and more school closures and building mergers and repeat until either DPS is no more, or taking over by greedy corporation. Just like Inkster Public Schools when it was took over by Edison Co. from New York City. | ||
Detroitteacher Member Username: Detroitteacher Post Number: 390 Registered: 06-2006 Posted From: 64.12.116.204 |
Danny, I was just reporting what was posted on the DPS website. I just want supplies and desks for my kids. Someone asked and I gave the info. BTW, Inkester is no longer a part of Edison. |
