St. Louis Schools Contracted Demolition of Three Sites

The school district has finalized contracts to demolish three historic school properties in St. Louis.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Administration

St. Louis Schools Contracted Demolition of Three Sites

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Should your local school district prioritize adaptive reuse of historic buildings over demolition?

The St. Louis Public School District has signed contracts to demolish three historic school buildings. The district will pay $3.6 million to raze the Euclid, Scullin, and Hempstead school properties.

Why it matters

The district chose demolition after determining that redevelopment proposals for the Euclid School property presented too much risk. Officials also noted that the Hempstead School building sustained fire damage, further complicating potential preservation efforts.

The district is paying $1,351,282 for the Euclid School contract, $907,234 for the Scullin School contract, and $1,430,000 for the Hempstead School contract. All three sites are expected to become empty lots.

The players

St. Louis Public School District

This is the primary governing body responsible for the management and disposal of public school real estate assets in St. Louis.

The details

The school district opted for demolition after rejecting developer bids for the Euclid School site due to project risks. While some local properties like the Arlington Elementary School have been successfully converted into the Arlington Grove Apartments, these three schools are slated to remain vacant land following the teardown.

St. Louis Public Schools closed Arlington Elementary School in 1994.
Abandoned property at the former Arlington Elementary School site received media coverage in July 2009.

Culture Shift

The current plan to demolish the Euclid, Scullin, and Hempstead schools marks a distinct departure from the historical precedent set by the successful conversion of Arlington Elementary School into the Arlington Grove Apartments. This shift highlights the growing tension between historic preservation and the perceived risks of adaptive reuse in the district.

Residents living near the Euclid, Scullin, and Hempstead school sites should anticipate significant changes to the local landscape as the properties are cleared to become empty lots. The removal of these buildings ends the potential for neighborhood-specific redevelopment efforts at these specific school locations.

The takeaway

The district's decision to favor demolition suggests that the costs and risks of historic renovation are currently outweighing the benefits of building reuse. Property owners and developers in the area may face similar challenges when evaluating the viability of renovating aging civic infrastructure.