It Can't Be Said Any Better
A copy of this letter from Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana came into my possession. Herewith, I share with you what County Commission knew last evening.
May 16, 2005
Mr. John E. Reisert
President
Floyd County Board of Commissioners
311 Hauss Square
City-County Building, Room 214
New Albany, IN 47150
Dear Mr. Reisert:
The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, the nation's largest statewide, non-profit, historic preservation organization, respectfully urges the Floyd County Board of Commissioners to delay action on approval of a new county annex building on Grant Line Road. The reason for this delay request is to afford the community more time to study the findings of the County Council and its architect Larry Timperman. The potential for a $6 million dollar expenditure of public funds to accommodate the construction of a new annex facility merits an opportunity for New Albany and Floyd County residents to digest the scope of the project and the long term impacts such an investment will have on the community.
Our organization is concerned over the possible demolition of the former County Home which is a historic resource for this community - a fact that has not surfaced to our knowledge in any of the discussions on the fate of this building. In August of this year (sic), the New Albany Historic Preservation Commission forwarded a letter to Mr. Timperman with a copy to you inviting its participation in an evaluation of the structure and possible reuses. No formal written response to that letter was ever received nor was there an invitation for participation in the evaluation process. A phone conversation between Mr. Timperman and commission administrator and Historic Landmarks' staff member, Laura Renwick, revealed that the investigation into the condition of the building was preliminary and that no decisions had been made. No subsequent follow-up from Mr. Timperman ever occurred.
Much of the media attention on the Annex issue has focused on building code violations at the building, many of which have been corrected to comply with OSHA requirements. While it is recognized that these improvements are only a short term solution, no compelling argument to justify demolition has been brought into the public arena. Is this building structurally unsound? Could this building be renovated with a portion of the $6 million dollars that now seems to be available to produce a facility that meets current needs? Could the building be rehabbed for county office uses and new construction be used to construct a youth shelter? Could the building have another community use such as a county museum? There are numerous examples throughout Indiana of successful adaptive reuse projects involving historic county homes. The stellar rehabilitation of the former Scott County Home as a museum and heritage center is a nearby example to emulate.
Another are of discussion should be focused on the opportunity the annex space crunch issue offers Floyd County government to show its commitment to downtown revitalization. A vital city center is predicated on the presence of local government - City and County - in the city center. The City continues to show its commitment to downtown through its efforts to facilitate the Scribner Place development. As the majority of your constituents reside within the City and the fact that New Albany's downtown is also Floyd County's downtown, serious consideration should be given to building or rehabbing in downtown to accommodate additional county offices. The benefit of this approach will have ripple effects on the economic vitality of the city center and will send a clear message to the community that our county commissioners value and want to be leaders in our downtown. Moreover, it sends the message that our local elected officials desire to combat the devastating effects of urban and suburban sprawl on New Albany's core. Historic Landmarks urges the County Commissioners to engage in a serious dialogue with city officials and representatives from Develop New Albany and other interested parties on the potential for office space expansion in Downtown New Albany.
In closing, I urge the County Commissioners to delay action on building a new facility on Grant Line Road and to work to engage the community on alternatives that speak to the long term health and vitality of the community.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Gregory A. Sekula, AICP
Southern Regional director
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Or, commissioners, you could do exactly the opposite.
May 16, 2005
Mr. John E. Reisert
President
Floyd County Board of Commissioners
311 Hauss Square
City-County Building, Room 214
New Albany, IN 47150
Dear Mr. Reisert:
The Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, the nation's largest statewide, non-profit, historic preservation organization, respectfully urges the Floyd County Board of Commissioners to delay action on approval of a new county annex building on Grant Line Road. The reason for this delay request is to afford the community more time to study the findings of the County Council and its architect Larry Timperman. The potential for a $6 million dollar expenditure of public funds to accommodate the construction of a new annex facility merits an opportunity for New Albany and Floyd County residents to digest the scope of the project and the long term impacts such an investment will have on the community.
Our organization is concerned over the possible demolition of the former County Home which is a historic resource for this community - a fact that has not surfaced to our knowledge in any of the discussions on the fate of this building. In August of this year (sic), the New Albany Historic Preservation Commission forwarded a letter to Mr. Timperman with a copy to you inviting its participation in an evaluation of the structure and possible reuses. No formal written response to that letter was ever received nor was there an invitation for participation in the evaluation process. A phone conversation between Mr. Timperman and commission administrator and Historic Landmarks' staff member, Laura Renwick, revealed that the investigation into the condition of the building was preliminary and that no decisions had been made. No subsequent follow-up from Mr. Timperman ever occurred.
Much of the media attention on the Annex issue has focused on building code violations at the building, many of which have been corrected to comply with OSHA requirements. While it is recognized that these improvements are only a short term solution, no compelling argument to justify demolition has been brought into the public arena. Is this building structurally unsound? Could this building be renovated with a portion of the $6 million dollars that now seems to be available to produce a facility that meets current needs? Could the building be rehabbed for county office uses and new construction be used to construct a youth shelter? Could the building have another community use such as a county museum? There are numerous examples throughout Indiana of successful adaptive reuse projects involving historic county homes. The stellar rehabilitation of the former Scott County Home as a museum and heritage center is a nearby example to emulate.
Another are of discussion should be focused on the opportunity the annex space crunch issue offers Floyd County government to show its commitment to downtown revitalization. A vital city center is predicated on the presence of local government - City and County - in the city center. The City continues to show its commitment to downtown through its efforts to facilitate the Scribner Place development. As the majority of your constituents reside within the City and the fact that New Albany's downtown is also Floyd County's downtown, serious consideration should be given to building or rehabbing in downtown to accommodate additional county offices. The benefit of this approach will have ripple effects on the economic vitality of the city center and will send a clear message to the community that our county commissioners value and want to be leaders in our downtown. Moreover, it sends the message that our local elected officials desire to combat the devastating effects of urban and suburban sprawl on New Albany's core. Historic Landmarks urges the County Commissioners to engage in a serious dialogue with city officials and representatives from Develop New Albany and other interested parties on the potential for office space expansion in Downtown New Albany.
In closing, I urge the County Commissioners to delay action on building a new facility on Grant Line Road and to work to engage the community on alternatives that speak to the long term health and vitality of the community.
Sincerely,
(signed)
Gregory A. Sekula, AICP
Southern Regional director
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Or, commissioners, you could do exactly the opposite.
posted by All4Word at 2:21 PM
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