Our historic schools are public assets, long supported with public dollars and tax-payer approved bond programs. Historic schools are good for students, good for neighborhoods and good for the city, even when they transition to a new owner or a new use. The School Board approved historic schools policy reflects these values and protects the public investment in these properties.
However, Historic Denver learned late last week that DPS has applied for a Certificate of Non-Historic Status for the Emily Griffith Opportunity School. As some of you may know a Certificate of Non-Historic Status granted by the City of Denver translates to a five year window in which a property can be demolished with no further historic review. We were certainly aware that DPS was considering moving the Emily Griffith program to a new facility, however, we did not believe there would be no further or public conversation regarding the future of the historic site.
The Emily Griffith Opportunity School was identified as a Tier I school according to DPS' own historic schools policy, and as a Tier I school it has been recognized as one of a handful that are "most appropriate for local landmark designation." The policy included the intent to consult preservation stakeholders regarding major alternations to Tier I schools, and came with the expectation that the Board of Education would support designation efforts for such properties when the time came.
The Emily Griffith Opportunity School is a unique and influential institution in Denver, and the structures on the site, bounded by 12th, 13th, Welton and Glenarm, represent the tremendous effort of a determined individual, Emily Griffith, to provide education and opportunity for all. While the property has evolved over time much of the site was designed and built during Emily Griffith's lifetime, and some during her tenure at the school from 1916 to 1934. The Classical Revival and Modern structures represent the building quality of DPS schools in the early 20th century. Prominent architects, including W. Gordon Jamieson, were involved in its design. Furthermore, more than 1.6 million students have passed through its halls, many first-generation Americans or recent immigrants. There is no other school like it and it certainly merits thoughtful and transparent conversation.
Since our founding in 1970 Historic Denver has been an advocate for many reuse projects, from the transformation of the Tivoli Brewery into first a mall and then a student center, to the transition of the Lowenstein Theater into a book store and now, the evolution of Union Station into a hotel. We know adaptive reuse is possible and we know it's a positive and compelling revitalization strategy. Additionally, federal and state tax credits are designed to make such projects feasible.
However, if non-historic status is granted DPS will send the signal that the site is only good for a scrape-and-build project, erasing the tangible legacy of Emily Griffith, and the opportunity to keep the physical legacy alive in a creative way. Furthermore, we know that the demolition of the site will lead to a large amount of environmental waste, from the loss of embodied energy to the train-loads of debris in a landfill. In fact we know that the loss of a structure of this size is roughly equivalent to 25 box cars of waste and negates the benefit of recycling 15 million aluminum cans. I know sustainability is an important value in our schools and a message we try to pass on to young people. Immediately pursuing a wasteful course certainly sends the wrong message.
For more information on the history of the Emily Griffith Opportunity School, as well as the DPS historic schools policy please visit www.historicdenver.org.
0 comments:
Post a Comment