Former Flat Rock student seeks to save historic building
FLAT ROCK, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – A former student has a proposal to save a historic school building from the wrecking ball.
She's the latest person to step up to protect a piece of history in this community.
Drive through the heart of Flat Rock and it's hard to miss the Reading Building on Gibraltar Road near Division Street.
"If there was a tornado in this town that hit this would be the only building in town standing because of its structure," Bruce Chapin, president of the Flat Rock Historical Society said while pointing out the steel reinforced concrete used during construction in 1911.
Even in disrepair it has withstood time, but in November the Board of Education voted to knock down the 112-year-old building despite hundreds of locals signing a petition from the Flat Rock Historical Society in person and on Change.org to save it.
"It would be a big vacant spot in town," Chapin told CBS Detroit. "The city is not moving forward if you're going to build parking lots."
Now Jennifer Schoenberger, an alum of Flat Rock Community Schools, who owns an interior design firm, has reached out to the superintendent with an idea to purchase the building and repurpose it.
"I would love to see it as more of like a community student center, I would like to monetize it, create some more residual income for the school district," Schoenberger said. "Let's come up with a new awesome solution for this building that makes sense for the school that makes sense for the taxpayers, and all the residents that want to see it saved."
Ultimately the future of this building is in the hands of the school board.
Its president, Norman Haase of Hasse Construction told CBS Detroit over the phone that the board is sticking by their decision to tear down the building and won't consider any other proposal.
So, there is a chance that the matter may end up in the courts.
"If they're just going to give us that whole 'no, no, we don't want private'–like not willing to come just a little bit halfway and meet us halfway. My husband and I are prepared to file an emergency injunction to stop the demolition," Schoenberger told CBS Detroit.
The school superintendent Andrew Brodie sent CBS Detroit this statement:
"Thank you for your interest in Flat Rock Community Schools. The School District did receive an email from Mrs. Schonenberger [sic] regarding the Reading Building. The Flat Rock Community Schools Board of Education unanimously approved the demolition of the building at the November 21, 2022 regularly scheduled meeting. The School District has been open and transparent in this process and the board stands by the decision that was made in November. The School District is future focused [sic] on creating the best possible learning environments for our students, staff and community."
"We're asking, please just pump the brakes on the demolition, give us time, we have all these people that want to save this building," Schoenberger said.
