A group of Rochester residents wants to turn the former Rochester Community Schools administration building into a nonprofit community campus, and they're inviting neighbors to hear the pitch.
The Harrison Community Center Project will hold a town hall at 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 5, at the Rochester Community House, 816 Ludlow Ave. Project leader Robert Bloomingdale, a longtime Rochester resident, said the group plans to preserve the 90,000-square-foot building at 501 W. University Drive and repurpose it for youth programming, nonprofit office space, arts and cultural events, and community safety initiatives.
"The Harrison Community Center would honor the building's past while creating new opportunities for community connection, learning and impact," Bloomingdale told the Oakland Press.
The site's educational roots stretch back to 1847, when a private academy first opened there. The oldest portion of the current complex dates to 1889. The three structures making up the campus were built in 1889, 1916, and 1928-29, connected over the decades into one building. It served as Rochester High School until 1957, then Central Junior High until 1973, before becoming the district's administrative offices. The 1889 portion was placed on the Michigan Register of Historic Sites in 1987, though that designation does not legally protect the structure from demolition.
The school board named the building after William F. Harrison, who served as the school's custodian for 45 years beginning in 1897.
RCS administrative staff vacated the building in 2022 after the district purchased a former Letica Corp. facility on Dequindre Road for $7 million in 2021. The building has sat largely empty since.
The school board's timeline
The Harrison Community Center Project faces a ticking clock. On May 18, the RCS Board of Education voted 5-2 to authorize a public request for proposals to sell the property as-is. The board is scheduled to review all proposals by September 14, with final consideration at the October 26 board meeting.
A 2018 assessment by Kingscott & Associates estimated renovation costs between $21.2 million and $29.1 million. Demolition and new construction would run $26.4 million to $31.4 million.
Board Vice President Jayson Blake said at the May 18 meeting that the district should focus on its core mission. "We're a school district. We're not historic preservationists. We're not real estate speculators," Blake said. Board Treasurer Julie Alspach, who voted against the sale, countered that the property "has been part of Rochester schools for seven generations" and called it irreplaceable.
How to get involved
The August 5 town hall is free and open to the public. The Harrison Community Center Project says it will present its full vision for the building, including plans for the auditorium, gathering spaces, and nonprofit partnerships.
The group has not publicly disclosed its financial backing or whether it plans to submit a formal proposal under the RFP process. The town hall is the next public forum on the building's future before the board's September 14 review deadline.
Key dates
- Wednesday, August 5 — Harrison Community Center Project town hall, 6 p.m., Rochester Community House, 816 Ludlow Ave.
- Monday, September 14 — RCS Board scheduled to review proposals for 501 W. University Drive
- Monday, October 26 — RCS Board of Education final consideration of proposals
