Months after an early morning fire destroyed what was left of an abandoned elementary school in South Vallejo, the site has become a symbol of possibility for people in the neighborhood.
“When Grant School burnt down, it was like losing a part of our family,” said Whitney Frazier, an alum of the former elementary school, which caught fire in May.
Grant Elementary School was boarded up by the Vallejo City Unified School District in 1989. The district still owns the property, which sits on Fifth Street in South Vallejo, a racially diverse and historically underserved community.
Multiple attempts by the school district to sell the property over the years failed, and for decades, the buildings remained standing. Grant Elementary School’s 2.5-acre, overgrown lot became a draw for illegal dumping — and a reminder to residents of the loss of their longstanding community hub.
Now, residents are being asked by the VCUSD to pitch ideas for the site’s future.
“South Vallejo needs to come together again and become more of a community like it used to be,” said Frazier.
Frazier and her neighbors said the right plans for the former school site could do the job.
In the sanctuary of Emmanuel Temple Apostolic Church on Monday, around the corner from the campus, around 20 residents met to discuss options for the site. They were joined by Vallejo City Councilmember Helen-Marie “Cookie” Gordon, who represents the area, Marin Trujillo Cuevas, executive director of operations for VCUSD, and George Tisby, director of custodial and site safety for VCUSD.
The meeting was the fifth one since Grant Elementary School burned, part of a push by the grassroots organization South Vallejo Community Advocates to pressure VCUSD to clear the site after decades of neglect.
In early October, the last structures of the school were finally hauled away, leaving only a grassy expanse behind.
“It’s like a beautiful space for possibility,” said Trujillo Cuevas at the meeting, inviting ideas for the site. “If there’s motivation and initiative from the community to propose something, we’re happy to entertain it.”
VCUSD is itching to get rid of its surplus of abandoned properties like the former Grant Elementary School site. Citing declining enrollment, VCUSD closed three elementary schools at the end of the recent school year, adding to the problem.
“We have too much land,” said Trujillo Cuevas. “It’s difficult to maintain.”
Gordon, the councilmember, said that being intentional about the process and listening to South Vallejo residents should be the district’s chief concern.
“I appreciate the fact that you let us know the financial burden, but I want you to treat this area like it is Glen Cove,” Gordon told Trujillo Cuevas, referring to the quiet residential area farther east along the Carquinez Strait.
“As long as there’s nothing there, it’s going to bring your equity down,” said Gordon. “We need a post office, we need a grocery store, we need a coffee shop.”
Residents pitch ideas for former school site
South Vallejo Community Advocates, led by a family who grew up in the neighborhood, put together a survey to collect residents’ proposals.
“We don’t want to have another space that is underutilized,” said Suzanne Madison, one of the leaders of SVCA. Madison said that the Vallejo Fire Department is eyeing the site for a training center — a fire station is right next door.
Most people at the meeting said they want to see a plan that serves residents. A grocery store and pharmacy were at the top of the list. The survey officially launched Monday and will be handed out door to door to South Vallejo residents over the next week, according to the SVCA.