Arts: The Life and Death of an Iconic Detroit High School

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Behold The Life and Death of an Iconic Detroit High School By Daphnee Denis Posted Monday, Mar 04, 2013, at 04:00 PM ET When Detroit's Cass Technical High School was closed in 2005 in order to move to a new building next door, the city was scheduled to lose one of its unofficial landmarks. Built in a style of gothic construction at the beginning of the 20th century, Cass Tech was a symbol of success for one of Detroit's only magnet school; it was demolished in 2011. Between the move and the time when the building was torn down, the once majestic building was left to decay. A fire swept through its floors in 2007, devastating abandoned rooms once filled with life. To mark the contrast of the school both during its prime and demise, Detroit Urbex created a nostalgic photomontage of Detroit's urban remodeling, available as an online archive. "The Now/Then section about Cass Tech was started back in 2010, before demolition work had begun," a Detroit Urbex contributor who goes by the name Albert Duce explained. "We had hoped to provoke substantive discussion about the school, its past, and its future." Dismantling Cass Tech was a controversial decision. The school board argued that it would cost more to renovate the structure than to build a brand-new one, citing problems with the building's outdated electrical, heating, and plumbing systems, the undersized gymnasium and library, as well as the leaking roofs. While the new building was set to cost $98 million, the old school's restoration was expected to total $117 million. And, in the words of the ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate NASCAR Fans v. Flying Car Parts Kid Rock Is Cool Good Job, Fella. Here's a Water Bottle.	Advertisement
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