What Should Go Here? Avondale Middle School
The school has been closed since the spring of 2011. Can the building be put to good use?
This big, empty building sits just outside the Avondale Estates city limits.
The DeKalb County School Board closed Avondale Middle School after the 2010-11 school year. It and Avondale High were among the schools taken off line for budgetary reasons.
According to the DeKalb School system website, the one-story brick school opened on Oct. 30, 2000 and served 550 sixth, seventh and eighth graders.
Could the building be put to a new use by a private concern? Would another school be willing to take over? Remember, Forrest Hills Elementary just outside Avondale Estates also shut its doors, only to be taken over by the Museum School.
What should go there?
About this column: Every week or so, we'll post a picture of a vacant store or lot in Decatur and Avondale Estates. You can tell us what you think should replace the empty space. Know of an empty building we should highlight? E-mail ralph.ellis@patch.com.
Gregg Locke
7:10 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Should have never been built to begin with. Waste of taxpayers dollars
Ralph Ellis
10:14 am on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
What's a good use for an empty school?
Rob Stanback
2:22 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Avondale charter middle school.
Jane Ayres
4:58 pm on Tuesday, October 2, 2012
I believe DCSS is planning to use it to house Fernbank Elementary while that school is being rebuilt.
Monty
5:16 pm on Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Convert the whole building into a condo complex. Single classrooms could be studio apts and combining 2 or more units would be a promo space. And community rooms are already in place. Maybe even section 8 housing if it serves the public interest or a very interesting condo community. Reuse, repurpose.
Charles Bosserman
8:56 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Decatur school system is bursting at the seams. Avondale has all these vacant schools. Avondale needs good local schools that has availability for all it's residents.
There is not enough room at museum school for everyone. Dare it be said? Joint
Decatur- Avondale school system?
Ralph Ellis
9:36 am on Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Decatur-Avondale school system? Interesting idea, Charles. Anybody think it would work?
Rick Baggenstoss
6:07 pm on Monday, December 17, 2012
How about a business incubator? There's plenty of space to spread out, meeting rooms, and lots of local talent who'd prefer not to travel into the City (or Alpharetta).
Jean Phitsgeld
9:29 pm on Wednesday, February 27, 2013
I was in the last graduating class of Avondale Middle school. Its sad to see it closed. I still look at through my yearbook from time to time.