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Jensen-Byrd a plus

David Wasson’s Feb. 24 front-page story about Washington State University’s plans to renovate rather than demolish the historic Jensen-Byrd Building provided welcome recognition of the decade-long community effort to save this building.

I would like to emphasize how broad-based this effort has been. Spokane Preservation Advocates, an 800-member, 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, committed substantial time and funding to advocate for the preservation of this building. Numerous people have contributed to this effort, including Kathryn Burk-Hise, Karen Dorn Steele, Paul Mann, David Shockley and many others. WSU Spokane Chancellor Lisa Brown also deserves much credit for her vision and leadership on this issue.

Wasson notes that WSU may partner with a private developer for this renovation. I would add that under such an arrangement, up to 30 percent of construction costs could potentially be recouped through historic preservation tax credits.

Each historic preservation project creates a unique sense of place and typically generates much vibrancy and investment for every dollar spent; just look at how the Davenport Hotel, Steam Plant and Fox Theater renovations have sparked collateral economic activity downtown. The public, the university and the private sector all stand to benefit from the Jensen-Byrd renovation.

Matt Cohen

Spokane

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