Think a shuttered school building is just a relic of its past? Think again. Across America, resourceful communities are breathing new life into these structures. Take Philadelphia’s Bok Building: once a silent school, it’s now a vibrant hub housing artists, eateries, and enterprises, with 600 locals employed. This transformation tale isn’t unique. From New York’s Keeseville to Dayton, Ohio, innovative redevelopments are turning empty classrooms into community assets. These projects shine a light on what can be achieved when imagination meets need.
Why does this matter in Minot? For the first time in many years, we have empty schools as well as an additional hospital. And these properties do not seem to have a plan. Maybe it’s time to start looking at ideas from outside Minot? We can do that in the next four minutes if you want to get your noggin noodling on what others have done in similar situations.
