St. Raphael’s Elementary School Building Plan

St. Jude Parish publicly announced their intention to raze the former St. Raphael’s Elementary School Building in September 2024. Since then, parishioners and Morningside neighbors have had a range of questions about that decision, how it will impact the area, and the future use of the site.

On February 24th Father Brendan Dawson hosted a Q&A for the public to address their concerns to the parties who are overseeing the process. Speakers included facilities managers for St. Raphael’s and St. Jude Parish, representatives from American Contracting Enterprises and from Minniefield Demolition Services.

Fr. Brendan stated that while repurposing the structure was considered, it was deemed impossible. Most notably, this was due the presence of asbestos-based building materials. For that reason, requests for a final walk-through cannot be accommodated, but all religious artifacts will be removed for safekeeping. Once cleared, a green space, including a possible grotto are tentatively planned for the area.

Details of the timeline that were discussed

• Abatement of all asbestos-based materials should start imminently, with work 6AM - 2:30PM through May.

• Pest extermination will be done prior to demolition.

• Demolition is scheduled begin mid-June once school is out. Work will be weekdays 8AM-7PM for a 90-day window, with the building down by August and fully complete when school resumes in September.

• Contractor will be watering with hose trucks to reduce dust, but residents are encouraged to keep windows closed during work hours.

• There is no plan for work on Saturdays and there will be no work on Sundays.

• No street closures are planned, but the building area will be fenced off. This may require moving the trailers on the property and will likely affect the layout for the bazaar this summer.