Public’S Input Also Important
Beautiful old buildings capture our imagination - and our hearts.
Certainly, it was the love of a grand old building that led Spokane School District voters to approve February’s bond issue. These bonds will help to finance the renovation of Lewis and Clark High School.
That election should be seen as a contract between the voters and the school district. It’s a contract which implies that the historic character of Lewis and Clark will be preserved and restored as faithfully as possible.
It’s a contract which the school district and the architect have repeatedly pledged to uphold. Now, as the design process begins, however, two issues have emerged which conern local historic preservation experts.
The school’s wide, four-level staricases have been a defining characteristic of its interior for 86 years. Currently, the design calls for closing off most of those stairwells. That would prevent smoke from spreading should the building ever catch on fire.
But it’s possible that other creative - and safe - solutions exist. Open stairwells and atrium designs in buildings as diverse as the Spokane Opera House, NorthTown Mall and the Liberty Building, which houses Auntie’s Bookstore, have managed to balance safety and aesthetics.
Local architects experienced in historic preservation say that smoke evacuation systems - essentially large fans which quickly circulate smoke to the top of the building - can be sound alternatives.
The second concern is the future of the 1908 brick building on the east end of the campus. Tearing it down and replacing it, preservationists warn, would jeopardize the building’s status on the National Register of Historic Places. It will be important to fully examine the historic issues surrounding the renovation of LC, allowing plenty ot time for public discussion and seeking the expertise of those who have successfully restored other historic Spokane buildings.
It is also important that the concerns of alumni, parents and students be heard early in the design process. The time to ignite the public’s passion for this building is now.
The school district should consider rescheduling its LC public forum meetings. These meetings, at 9 a.m. on Wednesdays, are difficult for working people to attend.
In the meantime, it’s important to remember that most of the news surrounding the Lewis and Clark renovation has been extremely positive. Lately, a new idea has emerged which could be a win-win solution for historic buildings in downtown Spokane.
Lewis and Clark alum Rob Brewster hopes to restore the Holley-Mason building and house Lewis and Clark students there during the 1999-2000 and 2000-2001 school years. The 1905 building, with its remarkable brick and terra-cotta facade, has stood vacant for nearly two decades. This link to Lewis and Clark could help revive not one, but two historically significant Spokane landmarks.
It’s difficult to underestimate the importance of old, treasured buildings to a city’s identity and livability. Such heirlooms require the entire community’s wise and careful attention.