After a series of community meetings, on Tuesday, March 24th, 2026, residents from Southwest Detroit gathered virtually to discuss the final stretch of planning for a new school being built in the Springwells neighborhood, on the former site of the Phoenix Academy.
Phoenix Academy started out as Woodrow Wilson School operated by the Detroit Public School Community District (DPSCD). When Wilson closed in 2007 the building reopened as Phoenix Academy eventually transitioning to a charter before closing in 2016 due to low enrollment and poor academic performance.
In the years that followed, the building sat vacant and endured theft, fires, and squatting which ultimately led community members to organize for something more–for something better for the neighborhood.
In 2027, DPSCD will unveil a new school at the same location. The $48 million project is expected to serve 500 students. The new school is projected to be a Pre-K through 8th grade elementary and middle school…