Fate of historic Oakland County school hangs in balance amidst court battle
KEEGO HARBOR, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – The fight to save a vacant historic school building goes to court.
On Friday, an Oakland County judge told the West Bloomfield School District to pause its plans to demolish Roosevelt Elementary.
On Wednesday, that same judge listened to arguments on why that temporary order should stay in place as a preliminary injunction.
During those arguments, the legal team for the parents and community members pointed out that Roosevelt Elementary has stood here for more than 100 years and that another six months wouldn't hurt anyone.
Attorneys for the plaintiffs argue the district violated the Open Meeting Acts because they never deliberated in public the bids they were considering for the demolition and abatement of the 104-year-old building.
READ: Residents file motion seeking to halt demolition of Keego Harbor's Roosevelt Elementary
"These public meetings that they held, these kind of public comment sessions, they weren't deliberating on the choices. They didn't acknowledge the choice, they didn't discuss the options, they didn't deliberate on them. They just attempted to justify the privately made final decision in front of the public," said Derek Howard, one of the representing the plaintiffs.
But the district says that isn't so.
"There's nothing done secretly, behind closed doors, or anything. It's all entirely out in the open. Anybody else could have bid if they wanted to; anybody could have made any comment or criticism of the bids that were submitted, should they have wanted to do so, and that has not occurred," Tim Mullins, representing the school district, said.
The defense went on to tell the court that some plaintiffs are putting themselves at risk by going into the historic building set to get torn down next month.
"Should something like that fall on him or otherwise be injured going into that building, which is unsafe and is clearly marked as 'no trespassing,' now the school district and the public is subjected to significant liability," Mullins said.
"The liability of this building could be erased immediately because there's a $1.7 million offer to take it off their hands to make it into apartments," said David Emerling, a Keego Harbor resident. "Leaving the classrooms exactly the way they are, not moving any of the walls, and then giving the public space to the gym, the cafeteria, the ball field, and the playground that they tore down all back to the public. That's the offer."
The judge will announce her decision in a written opinion that could come down as soon as the end of this week.
