GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The Kensington School building, located in the Black Hills Neighborhood of Grand Rapids, may soon be leveled.
The School District had three different bids on the project which included a carpet recycling warehouse, an apartment building with a community center and a non-profit transitional housing building.
All three raised some concerns for some Black Hills Neighbors like Dennis Slagel.
Slagel said the street is too busy for commercial properties and adds the property would be better used as a green space.
"I think out of the four choices, that being one of them, it would be best for the community to actually remove the school building and end the problem of people breaking into the buildings, it's vandalism that we don't need anymore," said Slagel.
The abandoned building, which most recently housed a high school until it closed around 2012 has had some recent problems drawing concerns from the district.
"We calculated that in the last 12 months we have spent in excess 300 man hours attending to Kensington whether it is due to normal upkeep due to vandalism, graffiti or cleaning trash," said a committee member in front of the district board.
Leon Hendrix, GRPS Communications Director says the district is looking forward to what can happen next.
"We'll still own that property, we'll still maintain that greenspace, and hopefully we'll be able to partner with an organization in our community that benefits everyone," said Hendrix.
The recommendation to tear down the building will have to be approved by the school board at a later meeting. Hendrix said that vote could come in the middle of may.
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