ALBION – The former Dalrymple School, a building-turned-eyesore that has been vacant for more than 30 years, will be razed, county officials announced Thursday.

Built in 1916, the former school at 406 S. Ann St. was foreclosed and has been owned by the Calhoun County treasurer’s office since April 2016. Demolition will begin next week and could take as long as a month to be completed.

The office has been working with the county Land Bank Authority for environmental testing and demolition plans.

Treasurer Brian Wensauer, who also is the land bank’s board chairman, said the school “has been an eyesore in our community for too long.”

“This demolition will remove an unsafe and blighted building, and allow the site to be reimagined in the future,” he said.

The project is funded in part by a $125,000 grant from the Cronin Foundation, which funds projects within the Marshall School District, according to the county’s news release. Voters approved the absorption of Albion schools by Marshall in a May 2016 election.

Homrich, a Carleton-based firm, has been hired to demolish the building.

The school, which opened in 1917, was named after longtime Albion school board member Charles Wylie Dalrymple, according to local historian Frank Passic’s website. It was boarded up and closed in 1982.

City property data shows the building was previously owned by Jericho Development LLC, which acquired the school in 2011.

“We are proud to assist the treasurer with this demolition and to address this long-standing problem,” land bank Executive Director Krista Trout-Edwards said. “We recommend residents keep their windows closed, reduce time outside during active demolition and stay off the property.”

Last month, the land bank announced it would use grant funding to demolish 122 residential properties throughout the county. While the majority are in Battle Creek, 27 of the identified homes are in Albion.

Article Source: Jennifer Bowman, Battle Creek Enquirer