BATON ROUGE - Tuesday marks the first day of the 135-day demolition project for the abandoned Glen Oaks Middle School.

The former school has sat abandoned since the summer of 2020, when a charter school that had taken up residence at the property moved out. Last November, a fire ravaged the site, and the site has since become a hotbed for vandalism.

A team has already assessed the building and classified it as having "hazardous content," officials said.

"We'll treat this whole building as if it has asbestos in it and haul it to the appropriate landfill," said Danny Pickering the demolition project's manager.

Councilman Darryl Hurst says there may be some noise during the process, but the project will be a long-term benefit and much-needed improvement for the community. 

Pickering added that he and his team will only work during normal business hours, so the disruption of the demolition should be at a minimum.

Ideas and plans are encouraged by community residents on what to do with the land after it is cleared.

"We'll be able to use our brains to imagine what it could be," Hurst said.

The school opened in 1955. Shortly after last year's fire, the East Baton Rouge Parish School Board authorized razing the building at a cost of $1.3 million.