GREENSBORO, N.C. — Six years after an awful tornado hit Greensboro, leaders are still sorting out what to do with the damaged buildings. One of the most pressing matters: the long-time vacant Erwin Montessori School.
The building was so badly damaged that the school district sold it to the county. WFMY News 2's Nixon Norman learned what that site could become.
Project manager of the site said the school will be demolished by the end of next Spring. As for what will take it's place, well, that's still up in the air and literally up to the community.
Neighbors, nearby masque members and local leaders gathered to talk about what could take the old school's place.
Right now, it looks like an overgrown mess with broken and boarded up windows.
Greensboro native, Earl Washington said putting anything there would be better than what's going on now. He said the site is a complete eye sore.
"They ain't did no kind of construction on this end. None whatsoever for the last 20, 30, 50 years. This is the east end of Market Street. Yeah, I wanna see something… I wanna see a change and this is the day and time for a change," Washington said.
Lead Imam with the WD Mohammed Islamic Center right across the street from the abandoned school, Abdel Nuriddin, said he would really like to see an event hall for youth or a post office.
What he and the rest of the community doesn't want, is a homeless shelter in that spot.
"I mean as soon as the word went out and we thought that was what was going to take place, there was massive movement in here. We probably had about 100 people in here during that first meeting, when we thought that is what was going to take place," Nuriddin said.
UNC's Development Finance Initiative Senior Project Manager, Sonyia Turner said the goal is to create a space that everyone in the community can use.
"We believe that our project is not feasible unless it meets both the public and private sector interests. The county does not have an objective at this time, other than to hear from the community and what they would like to see happen on the site," Turner said.
There's still a chance for your voice to be heard. There will be another community input meeting on Thursday, September 26 at 9:00 a.m. at the McGirt-Horton Branch Library located at 2501 Phillips Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27405