Old school building to be transformed into retail space

An old Colorado Springs school will soon undergo a major transformation, giving the building a new purpose.

Developers finalized the sale of Abraham Lincoln Elementary School Wednesday. The building will no longer be a school. Instead, businesses will fill the space. A brewery, Local Relic, has already signed up. The hope is that coffee shops, restaurants and other businesses will follow suit.

Crews began working on the parking lot Wednesday. John Olson, director of urban design and landscape at Altitude Land Consultants said the parking lot will have more than 100 spots.

The new development sounds similar to the Ivywild School transformation, but Olson said it will have a different feel.

“This is probably going to be more of a neighborhood retail component than a major regional draw,” he said.

Area residents said they support the project.

“It might be a good thing for the neighborhood,” John Hernandez said.

The goal is to complete the project by next March or April.