Grand Rapids — Plans are underway to transform the former Sigsbee School into a new home for the Southeast Career Pathways alternative high school.
The project is part of Grand Rapids Public Schools’ “Reimagine GRPS With Us!” facilities master plan. The public learned more about it at a recent information session, during which Pure Architects shared design plans for Sigsbee’s upcoming renovation.
Architects offered a look at some upgrades to the 1250 Sigsbee St. SE building, including a new secure entrance and main office space; a new student commons area; larger windows; new carpet, paint, furnishings and LED lights; improvements to the HVAC system; new signage; a new teacher collaboration area; parking lot repairs and more, according to a release from the district.
Renovations are expected to start in November and wrap up by August 2025.
‘We want to make sure that we are going back to the community and gathering feedback and making sure that the future of these projects is being influenced by our key stakeholders, our scholars and the community.’
— Reimagine GRPS Project Manager Lucas Stier
The decision to relocate Southeast Career Pathways was made by the Board of Education in December 2023, and moving the school to Sigsbee was the result of community input, surveys and school board meetings, said Lucas Stier, Reimagine GRPS project manager.
Stier said the information session strengthened public confidence in the project.
“What we heard was that the desire is that this will be an inspiring space for our Southeast Career Pathways program, and I think that’s what people saw in the renderings,” he said.
Stier said Southeast’s current location, at 1356 Jefferson Ave. SE, lacks that inspiring element, adding that the building is “outdated” and not up to district standards.
Stier said the information session also answered some questions previously raised by the community about what would become of Sigsbee’s parking lot and rear playground, both of which are used by the public. The district noted in its release that the playground will continue to be maintained by GRPS, and Stier said the parking lot will remain accessible to the public.
The district will turn to the community again for direction about what should be done with the Jefferson Avenue building once the move is complete, Stier said, noting that public input has been a key part of the Reimagine plan as the district seeks to determine new uses for outdated buildings.
“As we go through every layer of this process we want to make sure that we are going back to the community and gathering feedback and making sure that the future of these projects is being influenced by our key stakeholders, our scholars and the community,” he said.
The district also recently gathered community input regarding what to do with two other recently shuttered buildings, Stocking and East Leonard elementaries. Stier said the district is now working with the city on its next steps for those facilities.
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