Demolition started on Detroit’s former Phoenix Academy this week after years of planning failed to find alternatives.
The building, dating to 1918, suffered multiple fires in recent years and became a source of blight after sitting vacant since shutting down in 2016.
The school building, once named after former President Woodrow Wilson, held a library, science labs and auditorium in addition to floors of classrooms. The school remained part of Detroit Public Schools until 2011 and operated as a charter school until low enrollment forced closure in 2016 .
Following the closure, community groups gathered input on revitalizing the space and surrounding land. The building was declared a public danger when people began filming the abandoned school grounds in TikTok videos and was marked for demolition in June 2023.
More: Detroit has dozens of shuttered schools — and clock is ticking to demolish or redevelop
Phoenix Academy is one of nearly 63 abandoned schools across the city of Detroit, and the longer they sit the harder they are to rehabilitate, according to the Detroit Historic Vacant School Property Study published in August 2020.