An Oakland County Judge has put the brakes on the demolition of the century-old Roosevelt Elementary School in West Bloomfield, delivering a temporary win to local preservationists, FOX 2 reported. Faced with a lawsuit that decries the obliteration of their history, the community of Keego Harbor has been granted at least a reprieve from the imminent leveling of a local landmark.
The reprieve came after the Heart of the Lakes Community non-profit corporation filed a legal challenge, calling the school "irreplaceable" and asserting that false claims were made by the district. As per the court's decision, the West Bloomfield School District will have to justify why the restraining order should not be extended in a scheduled hearing on March 27. Judge Phyllis McMillen, who put the demolition on hold, stated there was "a real and imminent danger of irreparable injury in the absence of a restraining order," information sourced from a WXYZ report.
Despite being closed for safety reasons two years prior, and deemed unsalvageable by the school district, residents particularly the Heart of the Lakes group, have passionately voiced the building's potential for repurposing, favoring it being transformed into housing or a community center. Indeed, architect Joseph Notisky even offered to buy the school for $1.7 million to convert it into apartments. "Think about that one just for a minute. Each classroom is a perfectly sized apartment," he told WXYZ, emphasizing the dual need for affordable homes and community optimism about growing student populations.
Despite the legal roadblock, and community outcry, the district had stood its ground, citing fiscal responsibility and unviability for repairs. "It’s an anchor of our town, this is the first West Bloomfield High School, you would think they would want to honor that," Keego Harbor resident David Emerling expressed, a sentiment signaling a division in the community over the fate of the structure. Yet, as the West Bloomfield School District Board of Education voted 4-2 in favor of demolition, opposition movements continue to make their stand, illuminated by hoodline.
