One year ago in May of 2022, the Parkland community was shocked to find that the 115-year-old Parkland School building was to be demolished to make way for a new apartment block.
In order to save this landmark, the Save Parkland School (S.P.S.) community action group was formed. S.P.S. has been working to raise at least 50% of the total $2.85 million required to purchase the building. If they fail to raise these funds by Nov. 3, the project resorts back to the original plan of demolition of the building and sale of the land to developers.
After buying the Parkland School building from the Pierce County School District in the late 1980s, PLU has been struggling to find a new steward of the Parkland School building. “PLU has tried to work with community partners to take over stewardship of the building,” said Zach Powers, Director of Communications at PLU. Powers said that PLU has not been able to find anyone “due to the cost to repair it. Nobody wants it because it’s just too expensive to make it safe and usable.”
Powers exclaimed that PLU does not want to see the building torn down anymore than the Parkland community. “We have a commitment to benefit the community, and to our students.” Citing falling enrollment resulting in a disuse of the space and financial constraints, the possibility of holding onto Parkland School is no longer a viable option. With extensive repairs, water damage, fire damage from arson, upkeep expenses, increased need for security and safety hazards, many consider the Parkland School building to be a liability.
Phil Edlund, third generation PLU alumnus, lifelong Parkland resident and one of the founders of S.P.S., still believes that the old Parkland School building is worth saving. “Even though it’s not been an elementary school for over 40 years, it is still the identifier of place in Parkland and that you are at the center of a community, as opposed to an endless run of stripmalls.”
Pierce County District six representative and PLU alum Jani Hitchen believes that for many in the community the Parkland School building acts as a “place of hope.” The desired outcome is that S.P.S. are able to purchase and renovate the building into a community center of sorts which would provide much needed social services such as a senior center, youth gathering place, service providers, food pantry and clothing drop off and various forms of counseling.
“The school is at the center of change in the community. If it works out, it has the potential to create real and lasting change” Hitchen said.
Additionally, Hitchen admitted that the Parkland community is in desperate need of housing, especially affordable housing, and the proposed apartment buildings would aid in alleviating that problem. The land’s centrality in the community, as well as ease of access to PLU, bus transit and grocery stores makes this spot the ideal location for new and affordable stacked family housing.
Even if the Parkland School buildings are not torn down and turned into apartments, the large play field next to where Parkland School currently resides will be developed regardless of whatever fate the Parkland School building will face.
In the meantime, S.P.S. has been working for months to raise the money necessary to secure ownership of the building. March 28 marked a significant win for the organization as they were able to secure a signed Purchase and Sale Agreement between themselves and PLU which essentially puts the project on hold for them to get the money together by the set November date. Additionally representatives of the S.P.S. testified in front of the Washington State House of Representatives to lobby $3 million to aid in the group’s purchase of the school.
The official launch of the Save Parkland School fundraiser is on May 20 at Keithley Middle School.
