Macomb School District 185 says the former Macomb High School building it purchased this week cannot be salvaged. But it’s still deciding how to use the site.
The district bought the building on South Johnson Street during an online auction this week for $60,000.
In a release issued midday Thursday, the district said its facilities director and architect conducted a thorough evaluation of the building before the auction. They found it could not be rehabilitated, and “the cost and extent of necessary improvements made restoration impractical.”
The district said an evaluation conducted by the Macomb Building Commission confirmed those findings.
However, because the building is next to Washington Street Gym and the district’s offices, the board and administration thought it would be in their best interest to buy it rather than allow it to remain vacant and deteriorate further.
Although the district has not decided what it will do with the site, it has discussed some possibilities.
“One District vision being considered is to transform the property into ‘Macomb High School Alumni Park,’ a simple, welcoming green space featuring trees and benches,” the news release states. “While this is just one option, the Board will take time to consider other options as well and will announce final decisions at a later date.”
The building dates back to 1914.
The district sold it to Spoon River College in 1983, and it served as the college’s Macomb campus until a couple years ago, when SRC opened its new Macomb campus on East Jackson Street.
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