What to Do With Birmingham’s Surplus Schools?

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Reprinted WBHM 90.3 FM

Michael Calvert from the Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation climbs the steps in front of the old Powell School. He inserts a key into the lock and removes a rusty chain from the door. Vacant for almost 15 years, Powell feels frozen in time. Calvert takes a look around. “So this is the building,” he says.

“We can step into one of these classrooms and you’ll get a notion of the appearance.” The walls are cracked and peeling, lined with old murals and bulletin boards. The rooms are covered in debris, leftover from a fire in 2011 that destroyed much of the roof and upper floors.

Vacant schools like Powell are a common sight throughout Birmingham. The buildings symbolize decades of population decline and budget cuts. Now, as the city center grows, many hope these large structures will be revitalized.

The Powell School in 1908.

Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation

The Powell School in 1908.

Blighted History

Powell was Birmingham’s first and oldest public school, built in 1888. It is located on the Northside of downtown, overlooking the recently built Park Place Condominiums. Calvert says the building is an important part of the city’s history.

Read the full article here https://news.wbhm.org/feature/2016/what-to-do-with-birminghams-surplus-schools/

Commercial Asset Preservation, LLC. Expands Services to Canada

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CAP serves occupied and vacant commercial retail, office, industrial, warehouse and institutional buildings

Salt Lake City, UT, USA, May 16, 2016 – Commercial Asset Preservation, LLC (“CAP”), a US nationwide provider of maintenance, repair, day porter and inspection services expands service into Canada. CAP provides its services at occupied, partially occupied and vacant commercial real estate, CAP is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.

Since 2009, CAP’s independent contractor network, comprised of commercial general contractors and licensed trade professionals, has been strategically located throughout the entire United States. Now CAP is bringing its maintenance, repair, day porter and inspection service offerings into the Canadian market using locally based Canadian contractors.

“We’re very excited to take our services north,” comments Marc Insul, President and COO of CAP. “Our clients have been asking about Canada. We developed a similar network of independent contractors that are experts in commercial real estate maintenance and are familiar with local property rules and regulations. Our Utah-based service center will continue to provide coordination and management for all clients in both the United States and Canada. With the addition of Canada, we are now North America’s premier commercial general contractor.”

For more information, visit www.commercialpreservation.com or contact inquiries@commercialpreservation.com.

About Commercial Asset Preservation, LLC

Commercial Asset Preservation, LLC, (“CAP”) is a service provider established in 2009 to manage a national network of independent contractors offering property inspection, day porter, repair, maintenance, and preservation services to holders of abandoned and nearly vacant retail, office, warehouse, industrial and institutional (altogether “commercial”) real estate. CAP has since evolved into a full scale commercial facilities maintenance and inspection service provider handling both occupied and vacant properties.