CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — The Port of Corpus Christi is set to purchase and demolish Crossley Elementary School, a Northside landmark that has sat vacant for more than 2 decades.
The school was built in 1926 and was one of the only schools in the area serving students of color. It closed in 2001 due to declining enrollment and has since suffered severe fire damage.
The Port said there are currently no plans to redevelop the site after demolition.
Former student Michael Murray said the building's history makes the decision difficult to accept.
"This is part of history. A building like this shouldn't be torn down." Murray said.
"It makes me want to cry. Because nobody wants to fix this up. Everybody wants to tear it down." Murray said.
The news has spread online, with a Facebook post drawing more than 50 comments from former students sharing pictures and memories from their time at Crossley.
Dr. Angela Portis Woodson, who taught at Crossley from the 1980s through the 1990s, said she saw the uncertainty coming as the city changed around the Northside neighborhood.
"For it not to be rebuilt, for it not to be a historical landmark…" Woodson said.
"The way that the city continued to move through Northside and take over the neighborhood… I knew that it was going to happen." Woodson said.
As demolition nears, former students and teachers say they hope whatever comes next still reflects the history of the area.
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