6/14/13 - The site of an old school building in Highland Township will be transformed into a new, green space for the community. Highland Middle School was shuttered in 2011 by Huron Valley Schools and the decision to raze the building was finalized by the Board of Education earlier this year. Attempts were made to sell or lease the building but no viable options surfaced. However, Highland Township officials requested the opportunity to develop a plan to save the gym as a community center for future use but after several months of talks with the district, both parties agreed to halt attempts due to costs. The process of razing the middle school portion is already underway and contractors will now also demolish the gym. District Spokeswoman Kim Root tells WHMI the township tried to put together a plan to raise private funds to save the gym but ultimately, everyone agreed the timing wasnât right and felt it was best to move forward and raze the gym to create an overall community green space that will lead to the baseball fields that continue to see increased community use. Root says they realize there are lots of fond memories associated with the building but in the end, it wasnât fiscally responsible to continue. Root says theyâre currently about three-quarters of the way done with demolishing the middle school building. The gym portion of the work will not start before June 24th and she expects that the site should be cleared and seeded in time for the start of school. (JM)
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