We commend the University of Michigan Health-Sparrow for its desire to build a mental health facility in Lansing. As Dr. John Baker, director of psychological services at UM-Sparrow, wrote in the LSJ, “Our community is facing a growing mental health crisis that we simply do not have the resources to address.”
We fully agree. Such a new facility would be an important step forward.
We also believe this can be accomplished without demolishing the old Eastern High School, an architectural and historical landmark that our community has cherished for nearly 100 years. Our city deserves both quality mental health care and buildings that honor our heritage.
To learn more about Eastern, the city’s Historic District Commission, a body appointed by the mayor and approved by the City Council, has unanimously recommended that the council create a commission of inquiry to determine the appropriateness of Eastern’s status as a historic district. This would prevent the demolition of this historic building while a careful evaluation is conducted by an independent expert on whether the old Eastern can be saved and reused. This is especially important given the conflicting information and photos circulating on social media about the current state of the former school.
We believe that UM-Sparrow has several options available to achieve a win-win situation that are worth exploring.
They could blend old with new. Perhaps the famed UM Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning could figure out how to incorporate a state-of-the-art mental health facility into all or part of the old Eastern High School, just as the Accident Fund did to preserve the business administration building in downtown Lansing.
UM-Sparrow could select an alternative site on its 26-acre campus on East Michigan Avenue and construct an entirely new building there. We know that the proposed building and green space require only 9 acres.
If UM-Sparrow finds another location for a facility on its campus, it could sell or repurpose the old Eastern, as Neogen Corp. did with the Oak Park and Allen Street schools.
There have been several recent stories in the local media about the creative repurposing of old schools for residential and other community uses. Walter French is becoming Residences at Walter French and Holmes Street School has opened as Blackboard District Apartments.
As the city grapples with an acute housing shortage, it might be happy to partner with UM-Sparrow to incentivize a construction project that would provide much-needed housing for seniors, mobile medical personnel and others.
Our Historic Eastern Preservation and Mental Health Promotion Committee is urging residents to voice their support for the Investigative Committee and Emergency Moratorium to the Lansing City Council. Emails should be sent to [email protected]. For more information, please visit our Friends of Historic Eastern High School FB page.
Our committee and the hundreds of people we have spoken with over the past few weeks are seeking a win-win solution – one that creates an important facility to improve mental health while preserving an architectural and historical landmark.
Joan Nelson is the retired executive director of the Allen Neighborhood Center. Ryan Kost is a member of the Lansing City Council. They both serve on the Historic Eastern Preservation and Mental Health Promotion Committee.
