Hazel Park Schools Celebrates Opening of Longfellow Community Center
(Crystal A. Proxmire, Dec 12, 2025)
Hazel Park, MI – The dream of a community center that supports families in multiple ways under one roof has come together after months of planning and a one million dollar grant from the The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity. Longfellow Community Center in Hazel Park will be fully operational early in the new year, though some of the space has already been activated.
Hazel Park Schools is using the re-purposed former elementary school building at 2440 Batelle to provide a myriad of services and opportunites for people of all ages to connect. Former classrooms are being converted to include a mental health clinic, a fitness room, a game and puzzle room, a food panty and more. Discussions are in progress to bring employment assistance services to the building, and Oakland County Health Division has already committed to bringing some services to the center.
There is also a computer lab full of donated laptops. Plus there’s a room people will be able to rent for meetings and events.
The old school gymnasium has already come to life with various teams using the space, which soon will be available to the public with a schedule to be announced in the new year.
Longfellow will also host the offices of groups and departments determined to help Hazel Park families. Hazel Park Youth Assistance, which gives support and intervention to families struggling with children’s behavioral issues, as well as providing education and other preventative services, has already claimed one of the offices. The District itself has an office in the building too, with Karla Graessley serving as the Community School Director.
Superintendent Amy Wilcox said at the ribbon cutting, “This is really meant to be a community school hub where we can also have potential after school services for kids… We’re really looking forward to working together with the city, Oakland County, and other resources to make sure we’re providing things to our families because when we have healthy families, we have healthy kids.”
Hazel Park Schools is just one of five public schools to receive the state infrastructure grant and the only one to do so in the tri-county area. When the grants were announced in March, Governor Gretchen Whitmer said “Community centers anchor thriving communities across Michigan, offering Michiganders places to gather, connect, learn, and access resources. This funding for community centers will help us deliver on our ‘Make it in Michigan’ vision to revitalize cities and towns across Michigan by making them more attractive places to live, work, and invest.”
The Hazel Park School Board will soon be announcing details of Longfellow Center as it fully opens in the new year. Check for the latest, and learn more about Hazel Park Schools at https://www.hazelparkschools.org/
