CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Where students once filled the hallways, there is now little left of Martin Middle School. But one thing still remains: the school's sign, still standing in front of the demolition — a reminder of the memories made there.
Stan Heslip spent 37 years at Martin as a part-time principal, teacher and head athletic coach. His connection to the school ran so deep that he once discovered a hallway had been named after him.
"I'm looking at my mail, and then I had to turn this way here, and then I looked up, and then it says Heslip Way. And nobody told me anything. They let me find out on my own," Heslip said.
His daughter, Tynika, also walked the halls as a student. Together, they shared photos looking back at classrooms, school events and the people who made Martin special.
"The memories that we have, it was all from the neighborhood and even though the neighborhoods were spread out, we just became family," Tynika said.
Months ago, KRIS 6 reported that the Corpus Christi ISD Board of Trustees approved contracts to demolish seven campuses across the district, including Martin.
At the time, district officials said the buildings needed to come down because of their condition, security concerns and the cost of trying to save parts of the structures.
Now, as the building comes down, neighbors want to see something put in its place that benefits the community.
"That area, there's not a lot for them to do, if you give them something to do, they don't have to search for anything to do. And being that you're already taking something away from them like the school," Tynika said.
The Westside is home to some of Corpus Christi's most economically challenged neighborhoods.
For families there, access to community spaces can make a difference. A former student even recalled walking to the Boys and Girls Club after school just to stay busy.
CCISD says the property will remain under its ownership after demolition. The district plans to keep the land but has not decided how it will be used.
Regardless of what happens to the property, the Heslips say their Trojan pride is not going anywhere.
"Once a Trojan, always a Trojan," Stan and Tynika said.
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