Over a decade ago, while serving on the Lansing School District Board of Education, we faced a tough decision on how best to support our district and students. After extensive community conversations, we decided to relocate Eastern High School (EHS). This move was facilitated by Lansing voters’ approval of the $120 million Pathway Promise Bond project, which funded significant new construction and renovations across the city.

In 2016, bringing the old EHS building up to code would have cost over $60 million — more than half of the bond project’s total. Upgrading the roof, air and heating systems, and ensuring safety for a small student population would have sacrificed opportunities for other children. Thus, it was not a practical or responsible use of taxpayer money. Sparrow Hospital then purchased the building, and while we hoped for some preservation, we understood redevelopment might not allow it.

Today, our community faces an ongoing mental health crisis, highlighted frequently in local news and affecting many families. We lack an in-patient facility for adolescents and adults, despite increased need for mental health services. The University of Michigan Health System’s proposal to build a new 120-bed behavioral health facility in our city represents a crucial step in addressing this issue and improving healthcare access in Lansing.

However, recent proposals to designate the former EHS site as a historical landmark threaten to impede or halt the development of this much-needed facility. The opportunity to make the former EHS an historical site has been available for over a decade, yet this issue has only surfaced now that redevelopment plans are concrete. I oppose this resolution and any related studies.

The decision to sell EHS was made with the understanding that a community partner would redevelop the site in a way that benefits our residents. Delaying this process only prolongs the suffering of those in need of mental health support. I firmly choose the well-being of our community over bricks and mortar.

Opposing view: There are ways to preserve Eastern High and build a mental health facility near U-M Sparrow

Although preserving Eastern’s historical aspect is important, I am committed to finding ways to honor its legacy while moving forward with the new facility. I am in regular communication with University of Michigan leaders and believe we can commemorate Eastern and the Quaker family without compromising the development of the behavioral health facility.

I urge our community to prioritize the urgent mental health needs of our residents over preserving a building that no longer serves its original purpose. We must not let the chance to provide essential mental health services slip away. Our focus should be on compassion and progress, ensuring that our community’s health and well-being are prioritized in decision-making. It’s time to move beyond debate and work together to secure the services our community desperately needs.

Peter Spadafore is an at-large member of the Lansing City Council.

This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Eastern High renovation discussion too late; focus on mental health