Old high school to reopen as apartment building

MISHAWAKA, Ind. -- A quick snip of scissors sent hundreds of folks rushing into Mishawaka Main Junior High Aparments.

The project was little more than a dream just 11 months ago.

"It's really neat to see something to the point where in a few weeks, it'll be occupied," Greg Kil, Head Architect, said.

The building stands in the very same place Mishawaka's first high school did.

"Very rarely does an opportunity come along to really make an impact on one project," Dave Wood, Mishawaka Mayor, said. "And this is that kind of project."

The city has been working to redevelop its Downtown area in recent years.

Saving the old school house in 2009 was a part of that.

Developers tried to preserve as much of the building's history as possible; including an original chalkboard from 1910.

Folks got the chance to take a tour Friday afternoon and see the transformation of classrooms into apartments first hand.

"They've made so much progress," Barbara Spitaels, a Mishawaka resident, said.

"I didn't want this building to be torn down," Marilyn Flynn, a potential tenant, said. "We Americans seem to tear down things and put up something new."

Highlights include a one-of-a-kind view overlooking the St. Joe River and some of the city's churches.

"It's a piece of history," Kil said. "A lot of folks went to school here, and I think the folks that will be living here, a lot of them have an interest in living here, because they went to school here."