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HAZEL PARK — Officials in the Hazel Park Schools district are hoping residents will feel even closer in 2026, thanks to the reopening of the former Longfellow Elementary School as the Longfellow Community Center.
The building is located at 24400 Battelle Avenue, near the corner of Mapledale Avenue, east of John R Road and north of Woodward Heights Boulevard in Hazel Park. In addition to serving as a gathering space, it offers a growing selection of services for the public.
Originally built around the middle of the last century, Longfellow served as a K-6 elementary school until its closure in 2008, after which it provided temporary housing for programs such as Edison Max when renovations took place at that school.
Now, Longfellow has been revamped with the help of a $1 million state grant awarded to the district during the 2024-25 school year. Its ribbon-cutting was last month, and its full opening started with the new year.
The grant, by the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, is specifically for the creation of community centers. Hazel Park Schools is one of only five districts to receive the grant statewide, and the only district to receive it in the tri-county area.
Hazel Park City Manager Ed Klobucher said the city is not directly involved in Longfellow, but his team is interested in possible partnerships.
“I wrote a letter supporting the grant. I hope it turns out to be a great resource for the community,” Klobucher said. “We’re willing to work with the schools to ensure that it’s successful. My recreation director has met with them to have talks about possible cooperative endeavors.”
The renovations at Longfellow brought the building up to code, modernized its heating and cooling systems, and improved its cosmetics. The building is filled with furniture donated by businesses and Oakland County organizations.
Within Longfellow, there is a welcome center where visitors can meet with friends and family members or enjoy some alone time relaxing with a book. A rental room is available there for birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers and other events. Another two rooms are specifically tailored to the senior population, with spaces to play games and exercise.
“We are looking to do programming such as chair yoga, dance, walking, stretching,” said Karla Joy Graessley, director of community schools for the school district.
A separate $1.75 million grant, from the Ballmer Group to Oakland County, will fund community health workers at Longfellow who can help connect families with resources if they’re struggling with finances, mental health or other issues. The workers are part of the Oakland Connects pilot program in Hazel Park and Southfield.
Another program funded by the grant, Transition to Success, provides parents with additional resources, such as coaching in financial literacy and other life skills.
Hazel Park Youth Assistance is also moving into Longfellow. Previously, it operated out of Webster Elementary. It was the first of the YA groups now ubiquitous throughout Oakland County. Each aims to keep kids in the classroom — and out of the courtroom — by strengthening families, reducing delinquency and heading off neglect through community involvement.
Other collaborations are also in the works.
“We are currently in discussion with Forgotten Harvest and Gleaners to help provide a food pantry at Longfellow,” Graessley said.
In a statement, Hazel Park Schools Superintendent Amy Wilcox said grants such as the one from the Ballmer Group help the district better serve the community.
“We’re excited about the future and the increased support we’re able to provide to our students, families, and the greater Hazel Park community,” Wilcox said.
