| My only personal connection to Coolidge is voting there for decades. Like many/ probably most neighborhood residents I was upset about the closure. The surrounding Beecher Heights neighborhood was already starting to show signs of some decline and closing Coolidge was certain to accelerate it. Also, as the gateway to Glendale Hills, I felt homes on Westcombe Ave with a closed school building and the two nearby apartment complexes on Ballenger Hwy were certain to deteriorate rapidly. That turned out to be the case, although Communities First was instrumental in getting the one apartment complex torn down.I was extremely happy when Essence and Glen Wilson came to a Glendale Hills monthly meeting for neighborhood residents input on what we would like to see in a re purposed Coolidge School building. They have done wonderful work with Oak Street Senior Apartments and the Swayze Court Apartment project. I knew about the family connection Glenn had with Coolidge as a child, so I was certain that he and Essence would take a special interest in this particular Communities First project and it would turn out very nice. |
