ROTTERDAM, N.Y. -- Friendships, heartbreaks and lessons learned happened in the hallways.
“It’s like this is a part of my history with my family because all of my children were here so we were so much a part of this school," Katherine Jasenski said.
For previous teachers and students like Jasenski, the soon-to-be Draper Lofts is the incubator for their childhood memories.
The building and the student body is what’s left of the old Draper Middle School in Rotterdam. For families like the Jasenskis, the building contains generations of heritage.
“And you look around and I see my childhood and my children’s childhood," Jasenski said. "This has all been a part of it.”
A groundbreaking ceremony on Friday kicked off the abandoned school’s transformation into Draper Lofts, a project spearheaded by Sunrise Management & Consulting.
“We’re building for people who live in Rotterdam, who have lived in Rotterdam," Sunrise Management & Consulting president Jesse Holland said. "Something that will work with their budget.”
Dozens of previous teachers and students toured the building for a final time, saying goodbye to the where their childhood unfolded.
“It’s amazing, what we had here, and to realize it," Jasenski said. "I loved it.”
The building will become a complex of 111 apartments with the project costing an estimated $12.5 million, but for the residents and Draper graduates, the memories are priceless.
“There are a lot of good memories," Jasenski said. "A lot of good memories. My time, but it’s time for someone new to take over.”