KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — As work continues on dismantling the remains of the former Nazareth College motherhouse, some unlikely participants are taking steps to protect parts of the iconic building.
Portions of the bell tower cupola atop the motherhouse were removed on December 19th after Doug Melching, the owner of the company tasked for demolition work, wanted to preserve some of the former catholic college’s history.
He and workers from Melching Inc. removed a statue inside as requested by owners, but took additional actions after determining that the the cupola was worth saving.
The Sisters of St. Joseph motherhouse and four other buildings on the campus have been slated for demolition since April 2019, when city commissioners decided against saving the facilities with a historic district designation.
Nazareth College officially shut down operations in 1992, but the largely vacant property has been sitting idle for nearly three decades as the Sisters of St. Joseph and city leaders mulled over options of what to do with it.
The city began looking at demolition as an option for remaining buildings after the sisters reported that it was too costly for them to maintain the campus. A group of opponents and former alumni launched the “Save Nazareth” campaign, which included protests and a drive to plant lawn signs throughout the city of Kalamazoo.
The buildings slated for demolition include the Motherhouse, chapel, former Transformations Spirituality Center and a collection of vacant buildings on the west side of the campus. The current Dillon Hall apartments are planned to remain as senior housing in the future.
