For some, the demolition of Houghten Elementary is bittersweet. Former students cherish the memories and neighbors remember the life it brought to the block.
Gregory Quinn, Jr. drove from Fenton to witness the demolition. He watched as heavy equipment clawed at the old gym.
In his mind, he was still the little boy climbing the rope all the way to the top touching the ceiling. Those days are the past. Tearing the building down, is the future.
One neighbor told 7 Action News the demolition brings her hope. She will feel safer with the blighted, stripped school gone.
Next, maybe, will be the countless abandoned houses on her block.
“Get rid of this blight.” said Barbara Howard. “Put some new houses up, new spirit in the city. This is Detroit.”
Since the City of Detroit acquired 77 properties from the Detroit Public School District, many of them schools, 49 have been boarded up and by the end of 2016, 9 will be torn down.
According to the City of Detroit, the following schools are slated for demolition in 2016:
- Birney, 4094 Duane. Cost of demo, $351,600
- Detroit City/Longfellow 13141 Rosa Parks Cost of demo, $1,270,390
- Houghten 16745 Lamphere Cost of demo, $694,600
- Greenfield Park 17501 Brush Cost of demo, $330,801
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