GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In a unanimous vote Monday night, the Grand Rapids Public School board voted to demolish the old Kensington School building, which has been vacant for years, vandalized and even broken into.
The school was built in 1928 and catered to elementary students. After standing for almost a century, it will soon be torn down.
In the 1960s, Jim Russo was a student at the school. He remembers his favorite teacher, favorite class, and the playground he couldn’t wait to escape to.
“We had the best teachers, there's one teacher, Ms. Bremer, everybody had. She was one of the best,” said Russo.
Today, the school off Kensington Ave. Southwest is nothing like it once was, but it still holds a special place in his heart
“I used to climb every tree. We got out of school and changed our clothes, and every tree, we’d climb every day,” said Russo.
Just from walking around the building you can see broken glass, lots of boarded up windows, and graffiti. All things that residents have told board members in recent weeks that makes the building an eyesore.
The building formerly operated as a high school until 2004, but hasn’t been used since then.
The board had received multiple proposals from those interested in the building, with plans to turn it into a warehouse, apartment building, or a community center. However, all of those bids were rejected.
On Monday, the board unanimously voted to demolish it and continue conversations with the community about what to do next with the space. It’s a decision that Russo disagrees with.
He was hoping they’d preserve the old school building and transform it into something productive for the community. Instead, he will have to say goodbye to where it all started.
“Heartbroken you know, this, this is history. They're making a mistake demolishing it,” said Russo.
Other former Kensington students plan to meet at the building from 11a.m. until 1 p.m. on Wednesday, to say goodbye one last time.
