Red pawprints reading “BMS is the best” still adorned the walls at the old Brewton Middle School Tuesday morning, even as city workers manning heavy equipment began to tear down the old classrooms.

Once demolition is complete, the offices and media center will remain on the old campus, which will become the John L. Fisher Community Center.

“The next step is seeking grants” for the center, said Connie Baggett, programs coordinator for the City of Brewton.

While the city will have to wait for the next cycle of community development block grants to apply for those funds, other grant programs are available.

A successful community garden is already growing on the site, with hopes to plant fruit trees next, Baggett said.

“The next push is a playground,” she said.

Dwayne King, public works director for Brewton, said his crew will be working for several days to tear down the buildings and then clean up debris.

The gymnasium will also be torn down; it couldn’t be saved, he said, because the floor was too heavily damaged by water.

Once the buildings are gone, cleanup will begin, Baggett said. The property is about 9 acres, and includes an outdoor classroom.

City officials hope to put a walking trail around the property, along with a playground and other activities.

With news of the demolition of part of the property, Brewton residents remembered their days at the school — including “rug burns” from playing basketball in the carpeted gymnasium to summers at the pool, which has since been filled in.

Middle school students moved two years ago to a new state-of-the-art facility off U.S. 31 North.