GREEN RIVER — The McKenzie Home has purchased the former Washington Elementary School building in Green River and plans to build a facility that can serve up to 24 mothers and their children.

McKenzie Home President Debra Moerke said the purchase marks the first phase of a three-phase project that will include demolition of the fire-damaged structure and new construction. The organization reached its initial fundraising goal to buy the building on Jan. 5 and will continue raising money for the remaining phases.

A 2019 fire left the building too damaged to repair. Moerke said demolition is expected to cost about $400,000, with the full project estimated at $10 million.

“It was an icon, but now it’s an eyesore,” Moerke said.

Moerke said she first felt drawn to the building in 2019 while driving to Riverview Cemetery for her five-year-old granddaughter’s funeral. During a later visit to the cemetery, she said she realized the former school could become a transitional home.

The new facility is planned as more than housing. Up to one-third of the building will be dedicated to public use, including meeting and fundraising space.

Moerke said she is working with community partners, including Wyoming Workforce, Trona Valley Federal Credit Union, Rocky Mountain Power and Western Wyoming Community College, to bring workforce training and other programs to the site. The goal is to provide centralized services to help mothers gain employment skills and financial stability.

Moerke and her husband have fostered 140 children, most of whom were raised by single mothers.

Moerke said the McKenzie Home will be the first of its kind in Wyoming and could serve as a model for similar programs in other states.