- We're told the school has been vacant for more than 20 years.
- A recent fire at the location started conversations about redeveloping it.
- Watch video above to see what one developer wants to turn the location into.
Graffiti, shattered out windows and $200,000 worth of smoke damage now fill the former Genesee Street school’s exterior.
“It has been vacant since about 2001 or 2002,” said former council president Carol Wood.
Wood has lived in the area for decades and said the eyesore brings criminal activity to the neighborhood.
“We have mostly juveniles that break in there on a regular basis, trying to steal things,” Wood said.
Wood said the building had its fair share of tenants - after the school district.
“For many years, the Black Child and Family institute was in the building, and other organizations occupied it with them,” Wood said.
Today, city officials tells us the current owner owes more than $15,000 in back taxes
We chose not to foreclose, because there have been development opportunities that have been worked on,” said Ingham County Treasurer Alan Fox.
Fox said one of those developers is based in Wisconsin and they're hoping to get a $1.6 million r tax credit to build senior citizen apartments at the location.
We reached out to the owners of the building and also the developer who wants to redevelop it, but have not heard anything back. Meanwhile, residents like Wood are hoping change comes soon.
“I think as long as there is no action being done, is as long as we're going to have a problem in the neighborhood with this burned out building there,” wood said.
