A moment that many South Floridians have awaited comes next month: Workers will demolish the Parkland school building where 17 students and staff members were killed in a 2018 massacre.
Then will come the next effort: Deciding what will go in that place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, “where the spirit of a lot of people are,” says Broward School Board member Debra “Debbi” Hixon, who lost her husband, Chris Hixon, Douglas’ wrestling coach and athletic director, in the shooting.
For years, many community members have wanted the fenced-off building gone, no longer wanting to see a reminder of the killings at the school. Then last year, the Broward school district announced it would be demolished this summer, after the school year ends. And the district recently confirmed the 1200 building is still on track to be razed next month, likely by mid-month.
“I will be personally glad to not drive up to MSD and see the building,” Hixon said.
She and many others want it to endure as a place to always honor the 17: Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Christopher Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup and Peter Wang.
“It’s really important whatever we put in that space reminds us of those amazing lives,” Debbi Hixon said. “I want it to be a place where people remember to live life well.”
Regardless of what is chosen, she wants it to remain a “place with life, the place of 17, they were vibrant people who loved life.”
With the demolition of any building, hazardous materials can be a concern. There are many requirements.
The school district received full control of the three-story building last year, and clearing out the structure became a priority.
“We understand the urgency of this matter, but it is essential to prioritize safety above all else,” the district announced last year. “In preparation for the demolition, crews will clean and clear the building, adhering to state and the Environmental Protection Agency’s landfill disposal regulations.”
In a recent statement, the school district confirmed that hazardous chemicals and electronics were removed in April. In an email that month, former Broward Schools Superintendent Peter Licata detailed some of the preparations, also noting that “the 1200 building of MSD has been cleaned (all floors).”
Items left inside on the day of the shooting, on Valentine’s Day 2018, have been returned to students and staff, for “any items they desired,” according to Keyla Concepción, district spokesperson. “Families of victims also had some items returned to them.”
Concepción said the building will be taken down by pieces, there will be no implosion; nothing else on campus will be damaged or impacted.
Aware that the 1200 building would be removed this year, a select number of people, including some Congressional members and federal officials, have been inside the building in recent months. They walked past abandoned teddy bears, shattered glass, posters, yearbooks.
“It’s a life-changing experience to walk through that building,” Max Schachter, who lost his 14-year-old son, Alex, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel in February. “The stories it tells, no one else can tell.”
When Vice President Kamala Harris toured the building in March, she said she felt the building was “frozen in time.” She saw classrooms where outdated laptops were left open, and the doors that didn’t stop the shooter’s bullets.
Hixon acknowledged the building is still scheduled to be razed mid-June, and noted the planning that remains ahead.
There will be discussions on what will be on the site, but they haven’t yet started on the School Board level. “We just know we want something there, something reflective of the lives that were lost,” Hixon said.
Off site, the Parkland 17 Memorial Foundation is still deciding what kind of memorial will go on a 1-acre site on the border of Parkland and Coral Springs at the former Heron Bay Golf Club. “What’s going there, we’re still working on,” said Tony Montalto, vice chair of the foundation, on Friday. His daughter, Gina, was 14 when she was killed at Stoneman Douglas.
Lisa J. Huriash can be reached at lhuriash@sunsentinel.com. Follow on X, formerly Twitter, @LisaHuriash
