Carstens Elementary School Demolition — AbandonedCommercialDetroit

Carstens Elementary School During Interior Demolition

Documented May 22nd 2025 to May 30th, 2025

As documented in Carstens Elementary School the former school was one of the biggest anchors of the fox creek neighborhood here is some shots of those times before the demolition began around May 22nd, 2025

The Demolition fence was put around Carstens, around February of 2025, as the site remained unguarded holes appeared in the fence from people gaining access to the site, as the proper demolition began the holes in the fence were patched, but the structure of the fence supports was never fixed leading to a ease of bending the fence to still gain entry.

upon checking up on the Carstens site on May 22nd I was greeted to Demolition efforts underway, Later in the night me and frequent explorer alongside me Terry, joined together to experience possibly the last chance to get inside the once grand Carstens Elementary School. The light was non nonexistent due to a motion sensor camera, commonly called a lot cam, placed in the grass field next to the school. As we traversed the pitch black school we got up to the point were the motion sensor camera would be able to see us, I knew two things, motion sensor cameras work off heat, and usually have a range of 20ft, though I knew this one was at least 50ft. I made the call that no light was to be used by the opening by the main entrance to make sure the motion sensor camera didn’t pick up any abnormal heat signatures. I was successful in my assumptions with my knowledge of Motion Sensing technology. Though while on the 1st floor nearby the kindergarten room two cops cars drove by in hurry for a moment it looked like my judgement was fooled, a urban explorer’s worst fear. Though they past on and it turns out they were going to monitor on a prom event going on about 2 or 3 streets over. We saw this moment as our calling to leave and did so.

Later the next day on May 23rd I would return on my lunch break for a solo daytime exploration to document the school again in much better light then what was given in the pitch black darkness the night before, before even entering over the fence a cop nearly almost caught me but was off by about 5 seconds, During this exploration I had 3 goals in mind to document the school during demolition in better light, to get a video of the same thing, and to most importantly avoid the motion sensor camera. My adrenaline was through the roof knowing now the place was being patrolled by the police. However as usual I would come out without getting caught.

Footage filmed May 23rd, 2025 shows the Progress of the Demolition as the main entrance and facade remained just barely intact. This exploration as a whole I would count as my riskiest exploration ever.

Though I would never enter Carstens again after the May 23rd exploration I continued to document and check in on the school almost everyday. Since it was memorial day weekend no major work was done until the holiday was over, but on tuesday May 27th, the front facade was removed and demolished.

Around Carstens on May 27th, 2025

May 28th was a day to remember from Carstens as the Auditorium and Gymnasium were tore into. During this trip to Carstens I was fortunate enough to meet two former Carstens Alumni Don and Cathy. Which met me by chance as they watched their school get demolished. It was from their stories they recalled from the school that I really felt the importance this school held for many.

By the next day May 29th the Gymnasium was visible with the auditorium all but a memory

May 30th marked the big waning moment inside the demolition of Carstens, as the building began to severely become smaller and smaller, by the end of the day the building would be a mere shell of what it was even a week ago.