It’s been sitting vacant since 1996 but an announcement Tuesday could help this national landmark in Topeka back on its feet.

The Kansas Preservation Alliance nominated Sumner Elementary School to be placed on this year’s list of America’s 11 Most Endangered Historical Places.

Tuesday’s announcement showed the school made the grade.

“The list serves as a call to all Americans to realize that some of our most important treasures are at risk,” said Amy Cole with The National Trust for Historic Preservation. “These places tell America's story and help to illustrate national preservation issues.”

Sumner Elementary helped to make desegregation of the nations schools happen in Brown vs. Topeka Board of Education.

The city of Topeka purchased the rundown building in 2002

“The purchase included at 10 year covenant that prevents demolition and requires maintenance,” said Cole. “However, last year the city council authorized first steps toward demolition. In the intervening months they have initiated a process to try to find a developer.”

A few years ago it was estimated to take $5,000,000 to fix the structure and that number keeps on climbing.

“First, we would like to make sure that the heritage that it represents is preserved and secondly we have a focus and a duty to make sure that the neighborhood has something that is developed in it that is an appropriate use and a benefit to the neighborhood,” said Deputy City Manager Randy Speaker.

Sandra Lassiter and the rest of the organization, Community First, hope to make that happen.

The city gave them exclusive rights to purchase but is giving them a deadline that is fast approaching to meet a $2,000,000 goal.

“By May 31st we need to make sure the city has all of this information, that we have grants available to us, we have foundations that have said once you are the owner, we will give,” Lassiter said.

If the group doesn't meet the deadline, National Parks or another developer could pick it up.

Community first is hoping to make the structure a community hub with a school, community center, and programs like social services available.

Many are hoping being on the list is going to raise the publicity of the structure making more grants available.

Since the beginning of the list in 1988, The National Trust for Historic Preservation has named 200 endangered places and only 6 have had to be destroyed.

Kansas has only had one previous endangered place, the Eisenhower VA in Leavenworth.