The Academy Street School closed in 1985 and is slated for demolition. Blacksburg received state approval Tuesday to access $248,000 in grant funds for the demolition of an old elementary school.

Blacksburg Academy Street opened in 1956 as an elementary school for black students. After schools were integrated in 1968, Blacksburg Academy was used as a sixth grade annex and a kindergarten school. The school was closed in 1985.

The Academy Street school property has fallen into disrepair and become a safety hazard in recent years.

Blacksburg received a state Community Development Block grant last fall to demolish the Blacksburg Academy Street elementary school and the townowned senior center.

The Cherokee County School District has agreed to pay 25 percent of the project's cost from a debt service fund for capital projects. The district's share comes to $62,000.

"We received approval today from the state to begin drawing down the grant funds," Blacksburg Town Administrator Trudy Martin said Tuesday. "We can now move forward with plans for the demolition of the school and senior center."

Environmental tests found the town needs to remove asbestos from the school and the senior center. Initial estimates by the school board in January found it would cost $150,000 for asbestos abatement and demolition work.

Blacksburg has not set a timetable for when the Academy Street school demolition project will begin.

"There is a possibility we might be ready to discuss bidding the project at our July 14 council meeting," Martin said.

Blacksburg school trustees Barry Bailey and Donnie Lee Smith have requested an update on the Academy Street school demolition project at the past three school board meetings. The school board members have expressed concern over potential safety hazards for children on the district-owned school property.