We Cannot Let the American Hebrew Academy Campus Sit Dormant

By Nicky Smith
March 27, 2025

There’s no way to look at what’s happened at the American Hebrew Academy property on Hobbs Road and not feel a deep sense of disappointment. What was once a world-class educational campus now sits in limbo—unoccupied, uncertain, and under foreign ownership. This isn’t just a waste of potential. It symbolizes how government mismanagement and private disinterest can leave a community with more questions than answers.

Let’s start with the obvious: over the past three years, the federal government spent $241.8 million of taxpayer money leasing and maintaining this site with the goal of housing unaccompanied migrant youth. Not one teen was ever housed there. Instead, millions of dollars evaporated into staffing, security, and upkeep for a mostly empty facility—while residents were left in the dark, wondering what exactly was happening behind the gates.

Now, the government is walking away, returning the campus to its owners. And here’s where my concern deepens.

The American Hebrew Academy is now controlled by a foreign-owned nonprofit—one with apparent Chinese ties—and there has been no clear communication about its plans for the future. It has not responded to media inquiries, spoken with neighbors, or, from everything I’ve heard, had no real intention of reviving or repurposing the property.

That is deeply troubling.

We have a stunning campus—equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms, dormitories, dining facilities, and recreational spaces—sitting idle in one of our most established neighborhoods. It’s not just sad. It’s a potential liability. As buildings sit unused, they decay. An abandoned educational facility could quickly become a drain on the community instead of the beacon of opportunity it was meant to be.

Let’s not forget what this campus once was: a prestigious institution that drew students from around the globe. The dream was bold and beautiful, and for a time, it worked. But that dream has been lost—not only due to financial realities but because of decisions made without community engagement or accountability.

As a resident and a candidate for City Council in District 4, I believe we must protect this asset now.

When I’m elected to the Greensboro City Council, I will work proactively to engage new potential buyers or tenants—institutions that want to invest in Greensboro. Whether it’s a private school, a university satellite campus, a job training center, or even an innovative community hub, we must explore all possibilities. I’ve already contacted a few institutions but heard they’re not currently interested. That doesn’t mean we stop trying. It means we push harder together.

Let’s be honest: We cannot allow this campus to rot under absentee ownership, especially with its strategic location and immense potential. And we certainly cannot afford to let outside interests with unclear intentions determine the future of such a vital space in our city.

The failure of this migrant center project and the silence from the property’s owners are sobering reminders of why local leadership matters. We need city leaders who don’t just wait for answers—leaders who ask hard questions and get results.

Greensboro deserves transparency, responsible stewardship, and the use of this extraordinary campus for the public good—not left to wither away behind locked gates.

Let’s make something happen.

Let’s build the future our city deserves. Greensboro is ready for a new era—let’s get to work.