[LMich]

Depending on where you fall this is either good or bad news. To me, this was probably one of the hardest reuses in the city, and the DPD totally let the place go to hell when it didn't have to. A school that's been closed for only 5 or so years looks like one of those ruins left to rot for decades. What a d@mned shame.

Old Cass Tech to be razed

Shawn D. Lewis / The Detroit News

October 19, 2010

Detroit — Preliminary razing of the old Cass Technical High School, which closed in 2005, will begin Nov 1.

Extensive demolition will begin in June 2011, after school is out for summer vacation, and completion is slated for August 2011.

Since closing, the building has been subject to vandalism and fires, including one in 2007 in which two firefighters and two police officers were injured.

Demolition work will include the leveling the building and capping off utilities, sidewalks, curbs and gutters. The work will make way for use of the site by the existing adjacent school for athletics and additional parking. The project will include targeted salvage of historical artifacts and markers.

"This demolition allows us to remove a structure that has, unfortunately, blighted the neighborhood since closure and has been a danger to the community," said Robert Bobb, Detroit Public Schools' emergency financial manager. "But we are pleased that we can preserve various artifacts and bricks from the original Cass Technical High School building to honor the rich legacy of this school."

Two entry arches, plaques, a relief sculpture and other artifacts from the old Cass Tech will be preserved at the current school. Also to be preserved are bricks from the demolished school.

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DPS, with the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, has launched a program to preserve and restore bricks from selected schools being demolished, allowing the artifacts to be sold to raise funds for schools.

Bricks from Cass Technical, Finney, Mumford and Chadsey high schools will be saved. Contractors will be responsible for removing the bricks from the sites, and the DPS Foundation has committed to securing a private firm that will package the bricks for fundraising.

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