West Bloomfield School District votes to demolish historic school in Keego Harbor
KEEGO HARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - A century old school in Keego Harbor is set to be demolished after a controversial vote by the West Bloomfield School Board on Monday night.
"It's just outrageous," said resident David Emerling.
Emerling has lived in Keego Harbor for 14 years and says Roosevelt Elementary has been a pillar of the community for more than a century.
"When people think of Keego Harbor, they think of the lakes and then this Roosevelt building that started out as the West Bloomfield High School in 1920," Emerling said.
The historic building has been closed since 2022. Since then, the West Bloomfield School District has been pushing to have it demolished.
"For whatever reason, they want this building down. And when we ask them why, they don't tell us," said Emerling.
On Monday night, the West Bloomfield School Board voted yes to bring in the wrecking ball and tear down the building.
This vote came after the school district received a $1.7 million cash offer from JSN Architecture in Berkeley last Friday to purchase the building and property.
"What our intent is to utilize it for apartments over the next 15 years. It's a temporary use that we offered them, and we're giving them the first right of refusal to keep the property and school grounds intact so that this viable, historical structure can be repopulated as a school. A public school in the next 15 years if they choose to.," said Joe Novitsky, Principal at JSN Architecture.
Despite the offer, the school board decided to move forward with demolition. It's a decision that does not sit well with the community.
"It's numbing. They have a $1.7 million shortfall. It's appraised at $1.2 million. We offered them their shortfall to solve their immediate problems. How is that not accepted at face value? We have to respect and keep these neighborhood anchors and landmarks intact. We have to. It's a time continuum; it is our history. To have such a noble structure be discarded so callously, so quickly, is really ... numbing how many poor decisions we are making right now. We're asking the courts to intervene," Novitsky said.
"It's a long shot, it's a real long shot. It's in the judge's hands now," said Emerling, when asked if the building still has a chance.
The West Bloomfield School District sent CBS News Detroit the following statement: