- The former Eastern High School building was built nearly 100 years ago and was sold by the Lansing School District to the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow in 2016.
- Since then, the hospital has created a plan to demolish the original building and build a mental health facility
- Last week, protesters with the Coalition to Preserve Eastern High School and Promote Mental Health pleaded the city of Lansing and University of Michigan Health Sparrow to stop the demolition.
- Tuesday, demolition began on the former Eastern building after the demolition permit was approved
- In the attached story, I spoke with Eastern High School graduates and former teachers about their feelings as they watched the building be torn down
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
After years of conversations around whether or not the historic old Eastern High School building should be demolished, the decision was made clear on Tuesday.
I'm your neighborhood reporter Asya Lawrence here with the reaction from former students who said their final goodbyes to their high school.
Some neighbors learned to drive a car in this building.
"It was a unique class we had the simulators like a video game," said Alfredo Perelli, Eastern High School graduate.
Others took a chance on teaching in this building.
"It made me happy, it made me feel wanted and needed. I'm going to cry," said Rebecca Payne, former substitute teacher at Eastern.
And some neighbors even found love in this building.
"We're still married, Mary Anne, and that's been 45 years," said Felix Juarez, Eastern graduate.
But on Tuesday, the former Eastern High School building that stood on Pennsylvania Avenue for nearly 100 years became a memory right in front of their eyes.
"I can sum this up in 2 words, holy cow," said Perelli.
A demolition permit was granted to University of Michigan Health Sparrow Hospital Monday, giving them the green light to continue their plans of building a mental health facility on the space.
"I know there's a lot of emotional connection, especially for the auditorium, but the building is just insufficient. It's too old, it would be spending 3 times as much as we need to spend," said Margaret Dimond, University of Michigan Health Sparrow regional president.
While some neighbors are understanding of the change
"I think we all knew it was going to come though because what are they going to do with it," Juarez said.
Others are disappointed in the outcome of what they fought so hard to avoid.
"I'm shocked, I'm so sorry that a solution couldn't be found other than tearing it down," Payne said.
But neighbors who stopped by the building to pay their respects got to leave with a small piece of history that means so much to so many.
"It signifies all our years here, what the building meant to the community and all the education that was taught here," said Juarez.
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