- UM Health Sparrow wants to build a behavioral mental health facility on the former Eastern High School site. But it may result in the school being demolished.
- Some in community believe the school can be preserved while also bringing the mental health resources to Lansing.
- Watch video above to see how local government is getting involved.
1977 Eastern High School Grad Pam Lay, has a lot of memories at the school.
“I have memories there because not only did I go there, but my brothers did and so did my mother,” Lay said.
Those family ties are why Lay isn't fully on board with UM Health sparrow turning the building's site into a behavioral mental health facility . The nearly 100 million dollar project may result in the school being demolished.
“I would say preserving history because history is important because its our roots,” Lay said.
But in a lengthy statement sent to us from UM Health sparrow, the hospital said in part that may not be possible because quote "The former EHS building was built with the intention to serve students and teachers nearly 100 years ago – not to meet the modern behavioral health needs of the community”.
VIEW FULL STATEMENT BELOW:
This is something our community members have gone back and forth on and they do not want eastern to be torn down at all,” said councilwoman Trini Pehlivanoglu.
Monday, Lansing city council unanimously passed a resolution , asking UM's board of regents to bring the mental health facility to Lansing, while also preserving the school. That doesn't mean it's bound to happen -- but neighbors like Lay hope it will.
“There's got to be a middle ground for both,” Lay said.
