[msb-alumni] Re: Demolition Underway at Former Michigan School for the Blind
- From: Steve <pipeguy920@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: <msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 6 Apr 2014 14:00:39 -0400
BlankThe way things stand right now ...
They are going to tear down the cottages and the Service Building. So, the
whole western half of the campus will be available for new housing
development. I don't think this plan has changed since the last meeting I
was at a couple years ago discussing this.
The Main Building will be used by the Lansing Housing Commission for their
functions on the main floor. The upper floors were planned to be sone kind
of senior or low-income housing.
The Old School Building was supposed to be a candidate for redevelopment, it
has about 4,000 square feet of potentially commercial office space.
The Library, a 17,000 Square Foot building, has been remodeled and is
shared by Neighborhood Empowerment Center and the Greater Lansing Housing
Commission. There are a couple meeting rooms available for community
organizations.
The Health Center, New School Building are used by the Mid-Michigan
Leadership Academy, a charter school owned by Sabis Schools of New Orleans
and sponsored by Central Michigan University; they also have the gymnasium
as well as the land south of Maple Street.
----- Original Message -----
From: Peggy
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 10:28 PM
Subject: [msb-alumni] Re: Demolition Underway at Former Michigan School for
the Blind
Hi Bob,
I find all of this so interesting. The more stories you guys all tell about
the school and your experiences there I am more intrigued by it all. I
started there in the fall of 1966-67 and as I said before, I graduated in
June of 1970.
So did they tear down the gym too? I remember many bowling sessions and
sitting in the pits, resetting pins and sending the balls back and nearly
getting hit by a ball or two a time or two. I also remember working out in
the matt room the summer we were at cheerleading camp. Well we girls did
work out, but we also sat on the matts and just talked about boys and all
that other girl stuff. We sure all had some great times there didn’t we? And
it was always great to go to the stand after school for social hour, and
taste that cold pop and munch away on those chips or candy bars ect. an chat
with friends. I remember I ran that stand for a while and kind’ve enjoyed
it. I think we did that in our junior year and I remember in my senior year,
I got a job as switchboard operator and Sandy Penman (Shimmun) and Larry
Yanchus also worked the board on the weekends that I didn’t. Larry was the
alternate who filled in when Sandy or I couldn’t work a particular weekend.
When the switchboard was turned on in the health center during the weekend
shift, I would work Saturday nights and Sunday mornings and I remember how
Miss Pez would be so kind as to bring me a big slice of her pound cake. She
was a pretty cool nurse. I liked Mrs. Anderson too.
From: Robert Spear
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 9:38 PM
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [msb-alumni] Re: Demolition Underway at Former Michigan School for
the Blind
I started in the 1962 1963 school year I think anyway. The first year they
opened Andy cottage other than Blair those were the only 2 cottages. The
others wasn’t even built until after that. The gym was open that year also I
believe. I find it interesting that the oldest building on the campus is the
one they are saving. The main building. All I can say it is a shame & very
sad.
From: msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Fred Wurtzel
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 4:52 PM
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [msb-alumni] Re: Demolition Underway at Former Michigan School for
the Blind
Hi,
I agree with all those who talk about our extended family. I’m still very
sad to know what is happening. Some blind kids get good educations in their
home districts, while others are truly suffering for lack of good role
models, lack of Braille books and ignorance of blindness.
I also think it is interesting that the cottages weren’t there when I got
there and are already gone. Our Boy Scout troop camped out there where Long
House used to be. I wonder about our values as a society to think of such
waste.
Warmest Regards,
Fred
From: msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:msb-alumni-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Jim in Detroit
Sent: Saturday, April 05, 2014 7:18 PM
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [msb-alumni] Re: Demolition Underway at Former Michigan School for
the Blind
I didn’t even finish reading that article; it was pitiful.
From: Chris Rasmussen
Sent: April 04, 2014 08:49
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [msb-alumni] Re: Demolition Underway at Former Michigan School for
the Blind
Now I know I don’t want to even go by the campus. This is so sad for all of
us who have many many memories of our time at M S B. I have an old yearbook
that has many pictures be they black and white of the campus around 1969 or
70. Thanks for sharing this Steve.
Chris Rasmussen
From: Steve
Sent: Thursday, April 03, 2014 10:02 PM
To: msb-alumni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [msb-alumni] Demolition Underway at Former Michigan School for the
Blind
Well, if there isn't enough downer news on this list lately. Here's more...
Demolition underway on campus of Lansing's former Michigan School for the
Blind . LANSING - Demolition has begun on what was once a dining hall at the
Michigan School for the Blind. A maintenance building will come next and
then the "cottages," squat brick buildings that once served as dormitories.
The 27,000-square-foot auditorium built in the 1950s is also on the list,
though its destruction might still be averted. Tom Edmiston, senior vice
president for Great Lakes Capital Fund, a nonprofit that owns the more
elegant structures on the site, described the work as "demolition and
clearance, kind of making the campus available for redevelopment.
Redevelopment has been slow in coming. The Lansing campus of the School for
the Blind closed in the fall of 1995 and the few remaining students were
moved to Flint. Much of the campus has been idle since. The Ingham County
Land Bank, which owns much of the campus, renovated the historic
6,000-square-foot superintendent's house in 2009. It's now oc'cup'ied by
Rizzi Designs. The former library became the Greater Lansing Housing
Coalition's Neighborhood Empowerment Center in 2010. But the century-old
administration building and former high school building have lain fallow.
Edmiston said Great Lakes Capital does have a purchase agreement on the
administration building, rechristened The Abigail, from a developer who
wants to use it for affordable housing. The project is contingent on
assistance from the state. The state is funding the demolition work though a
$1.8 million blight removal grant. The grant was approved last year, but
"it's taken this long to get all the necessary pieces of paper together that
the state needed before they would release funds," Edmiston said. There is
still time, not much though, to save the auditorium. "If we got any serious
offers for the auditorium as is, then we wouldn't proceed with the
demolition," Edmiston said. But the window is probably no longer than six
weeks. "Given fact that we haven't heard anything for several years now
about interest in the auditorium, it's hard to imagine that someone would
step forward at this point," Edmiston said.
Tum podem extulit horridulum
Steve
Lansing, Pure MI
P.S. Look up the Latin translation of that signature on Google, it really
sums up things right now, lol.
Jim in Detroit
James A. Prather
Central Michigan University: 1980
Michigan School for the Blind: 1974
"Fire Up Chips"
"Ungh, ungowa, Raiders still Got the Power!"
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