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Archive for the ‘Advocacy Alert’ Category

Advocacy Alert! Help Preserve Harborview Hall

Source: Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

Send a Letter to King County Council in Support of Preserving Harborview Hall

The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation just launched a public advocacy effort to support the preservation and adaptive re-use of Harborview Hall. Historic Seattle has been advocating for its preservation. We support a project design and plan that meets the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and allows for the viable use of a significant National Register for Historic Places-eligible property. We urge you to write a letter to King County Council to show broad support for saving the building and rehabilitating it for a viable new use. Below is the alert message from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation: 

King County is currently working with a local developer on plans to rehabilitate Harborview Hall. An integral part of the Harborview Medical Center in Seattle’s First Hill neighborhood, the building faced possible demolition earlier this year, prompting its inclusion in our 2012 Most Endangered List. The county Executive’s involvement has made redevelopment of Harborview Hall closer to becoming reality, but key decisions are still to come. Your support remains essential for saving Harborview Hall!  Please contact the King County Council and urge them to support redevelopment of Harborview Hall. Download a sample letter of support: Save Harborview Hall If you are a resident of King County, email or write your district councilmember. If you live outside the county, email or write King County Council Chair Larry Gossett. Email and mailing addresses can be found on the King County Council website. For more in-depth information, including a fact sheet and video on Harborview Hall, visit the Harborview Hall Take Action page on the Washington Trust’s website. Show your support on facebook: “like” the Harborview Hall facebook page!

Planning for the Future of McNeil Island

One of many historic resources on McNeil Island / Photo: Dept of Archaeology and Historic Preservation

A message from the State Office of Financial Management regarding historic McNeil Island: 

The Washington State Legislature has directed the Washington State Office of Financial Management (OFM) to prepare a REPORT to use to initiate a comprehensive, long-range planning process for the future of McNeil Island during the 2013-15 Biennium. The report is due to the Governor and Legislature by October 1, 2012.

One of the report components is a summary of consultation with interested parties. OFM and its consultant team, BERK, are hosting two open houses in late August that are open to all. The open houses are designed to provide more information about the project underway and gather thoughts on planning for the Island’s future. These open houses will be held:

Monday, August 27, 2012
12:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Legislative Building
Columbia Room
416 Sid Snyder Avenue SE
Olympia, WA 98504

Tuesday, August 28, 2012
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Pierce County Environmental Services Building
East and West Meeting Rooms
9850 64th Street W
University Place, WA 98467

Please see this flyer for more information on these open houses. If you are unable to attend an open house and want to share your thoughts about planning for the future of McNeil Island, please send your comments to: [email protected]. Please also forward this on to other people that might be interested.

The Future of Building 18, the “Old Firehouse” at Sand Point NAS Historic District

Building 18, Old Firehouse, north facade / Photo: Lynn Ferguson

Neighborhood preservation advocates, Friends of Naval Air Station Seattle Historic District, with the support of local preservation organizations are working to save Building 18 and seek adaptive reuse solutions for the historic building. Located in the Sand Point Naval Air Station Seattle Historic District (a locally designated landmark district and National Register of Historic Places-listed district) in Magnuson Park, the historic firehouse is a significant contributing resource situated prominently in the core of the park.

The structure is owned by Seattle Parks and Recreation and has sat vacant and deteriorating for years. Its condition worsens every year as deferred maintenance contributes greatly to its decline. It is in need of a new roof and structural stabilization among other things.

The good news is the building is not too far gone and can be and should be rehabilitated. There are many opportunities to turn what some consider an “eyesore” into a community and park asset that serves the needs of the park, its users and the larger community. This spring, citizens listed repair of Buildings 18 and 2 (a significant historic hangar) as the top priority in the Strategic Planning process for the park in the next ten years.

Preservation advocates are seeking broader support for the adaptive reuse of the historic firehouse. They have submitted Building 18 to a new online platform called “Popularise”—a crowd source medium that brings news ideas from the ground up (rather than top down) to find ways to improve our communities.

We encourage you to view Popularise and submit ideas and comments about what you would like to see happen with Building 18. And please help spread the word to get more ideas and support for saving Building 18!

Building 18, view of west facade and hose drying tower / Photo: Julianna Ross

Advocacy Alert! Help Save the Jensen-Byrd Building in Spokane

Jensen-Byrd Building, Spokane / Photo: Washington Trust for Historic Preservation

Support our preservation comrades in Spokane in their efforts to save the historic Jensen-Byrd Building! This significant warehouse built in 1909 and designed by Spokane architect Albert Held for Marshall-Wells Hardware Co. is owned by Washington State University which plans to sell the property to Texas-based Campus Advantage for the purpose of demolition. New student housing would be built on the site. What is astounding about this predicament is that WSU has chosen to sell the property to an out-of-state entity with no appreciation of Spokane’s heritage when there is an alternative to sell to a Spokane-based developer who has a proven track record of rehabilitating historic buildings and would approach the project as an adaptive re-use rather than demolition and new construction.

Spokane Preservation Advocates is asking you to support their efforts by writing to WSU and asking them to develop a plan to renovate the building rather than tear it down. Details can be found on the SPA website.

Historic Photographs Are Not Just For Viewing

Asahel Curtis photo of the University of Washington campus in 1912 / Source: UW Special Collections, Asahel Curtis Collection (CUR934)

We all enjoy looking at historic photographs. One of the best repositories for historic images in Puget Sound and the state is the University of Washington Special Collections. Starting January 20, 2012, that’s all we’ll be able to do, look at the photographs. According to the UW Special Collections website,

“As of January 20, 2012, due to the closure of the Classroom Support Services Photography lab, we will temporarily be unable to provide photographic prints or digital scans. We are actively exploring alternative services. Photocopy services are not affected by this change. We apologize for this inconvenience. Please email us at [email protected] with questions. Thank you.”

We are all aware that tough economic times and budget cuts have affected and continue to affect all sectors—public, private and nonprofit. But for a major public educational institution with one of the best libraries and archives in the country to not provide photographic prints or digital scans for users is mind-boggling. Photographic prints and high resolution digital scans have not been offered free of charge in the past. There has always been a fee charged by the photo lab which is understandable because it costs money to run a photo lab, which is essentially a business. Researchers know the value of the materials and know they usually have to pay to access them for use in their projects and publications.

What is the point of building a collection of photographs and providing public access to them if all we can do is just look at the photographs? This will negatively affect a wide range of users including scholars, researchers, students, museums, historical societies, historians, preservation consultants, writers and developers among others. Moving forward, why would potential donors—individuals, organizations and corporations consider donating their materials to the UW if these materials cannot be reproduced?

The message posted on the Special Collections website says the photo lab is temporarily closed. How temporary is temporary? What efforts are being made to re-open the photo lab? Is there another business model that will work?

If you are scratching your heads over this decision and care about UW Special Collections, then we encourage you to contact the University, voice your views on the matter, and describe how you may be affected by this change. You may email your message to the following individuals:

Lizabeth (Betsy) Wilson
Dean of University Libraries, Libraries Administration
[email protected]

Joyce Agee
Associate Director of Development, Libraries Administration
Office of the Dean
[email protected]

Adaptive Reuse Potential of Harborview Hall

1937. Harborview Hall / Photo: Washington State Archives Puget Sound Region Branch

On September 8, 2011, the King County Executive Services Department released an RFQ/C (Request for Qualifications/Concepts) related to the adaptive re-use of Harborview Hall, a National Register-eligible Art Deco style building (built in 1931) on the Harborview Medical Center campus. Those interested can find details in the King County website’s Procurement page.  Solicitation details can be downloaded on that site. A pre-submittal conference to discuss questions related to this RFQ/C will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, September 16, 2011, in the Lydia/Catherine Conference Room on the 2nd Floor of the King County Administration Bldg, 500 Fourth Avenue, Seattle. Submittals are due October 6, 2011 (no later than 2 pm).

Harborview Hall is receiving a 90-day stay of execution from the wrecking ball through this RFQ/C process. Harborview Medical Center (HMC) plans to demolish the building and replace it with a plaza. At the eleventh hour, King County officials were alerted to the demolition plans. Recognizing the building’s significance, they are seeking time to study the feasibility of rehabilitating the building and bringing it back to viable use. To tear down this gem of a building which has great reuse potential and replace it with a plaza is a waste of resources especially in this day and age when sustainability is often a goal for development projects. (more…)

Please Help Save 4Culture Now!

There’s one more day left in the legislative session in Olympia (ends tomorrow, May 25.) 4Culture’s future hangs in the balance. This roller coaster ride is still going. There is legislative interest in supporting 4Culture. We’re asking for one more advocacy push NOW. Contact all members of the Senate and House. Your emails and phone calls have greatly helped up to this point. Please take a couple minutes and contact all legislators today. Go to Advocate4Culture’s website for details. Thank you!

Update on Senate Bills for Arts and Heritage

It’s time again to advocate for continued funding of arts, culture and heritage in King County. 4Culture’s future is still on the line. The State Legislature has been in special session and is considering two senate bills that would continue funding for 4Culture. It’s time again to contact your state senators NOW and ask them to support SSB 5834 and SB 5958.

There’s also a public hearing tomorrow, May 17, in Olympia on SB 5958 at 1:30 pm in the Cherberg Building on the State Capitol campus. Please attend to show your support.

Find your Senator here. For more info, go to Advocate4Culture’s website.

One Last Call to Action: Heritage Capital Projects Fund

We know we have asked a lot. But this is it – ONE LAST CALL TO ACTION!! 

The recently released State Senate budget only funded the Heritage Capital Projects Fund (HCPF) at $1.1 million. This amount would fund only nine projects and the other twenty, including Historic Seattle’s Washington Hall,  were not funded. We last provided a MAin2 update on this roller coaster of a process on April 6 reporting that the House provided $10 million in its capital budget for HCPF. Well, there’s a big difference between $1.1 and $10 million. Here’s what we need the Historic Seattle supporters and constituents to do as soon as possible:

EMAIL YOUR TWO HOUSE REPRESENTATIVES

“Thank you very much for the $10 million full funding of the Heritage Capital Projects Fund (HCPF) in the House budget. As you know, the Senate budget only funded $1.1 million.  I am writing to ask you to please retain the full funding in the House budget and ask your Senate counterpart to support the HCPF.”

EMAIL YOUR SENATOR

“Thank you for partially funding the Heritage Capital Projects Fund. Please fund the HCPF at the same level as the House – the full $10 million.  Would you contact Senator Kilmer with the message that this is a high priority for your district?”

POINTERS FOR YOUR EMAILS

  • Subject Line:  Your Constituent Supports Heritage Capital Projects Fun
  • Keep your message short.
  • Personalize your message. They will likely NOT read mass emails that all look the same.
  • Calls are not encouraged. Staff are getting swamped and can’t respond and have asked us to please email!

FIND YOUR SENATORS AND REPRESENTATIVES

Find out how to contact your state legislators here.

(more…)

URGENT ACTION NEEDED to Support the Heritage Capital Projects Fund

In a February 3, 2011 blog post, MAin2 alerted readers to the need to support the Heritage Capital Projects Fund (HCPF). State law allows up to $10 million of state bond money to be appropriated for capital projects through the Fund each biennium. Funding for these projects has been appropriated without fail since 1997. This year, however, the Governor’s proposed budget eliminated the Heritage Capital Projects Fund.

The 29 HCPF awardees and supporters have been working hard during this legislative session to urge legislators to restore the fund. The great news is the House included the HCPF to be funded at $10 million in its capital budget! We are thrilled with this progress but the work is not done.

We need your help NOW to ensure this level of funding from the Senate. The Senate is finalizing the budget as we speak.  It is URGENT that your Senators hear how important it is to your community that their budget fully funds the HCPF. Find your legislators’ contact information on this web page.

NOW is the time to act.  In the next 24 hours, please contact your Senators by email or phone to send these TWO simple messages:

1)      Please fund the HCPF at the same level as the House – the full $10 million; and

2)      Ask them to contact Senator Kilmer with the message that this is a high priority for their district (Senator Kilmer is Vice-chair and lead on putting together the Capital budget).

Some tips on how to MOST effectively contact your Senators during this time-sensitive period:

  • Your email “Subject” line should indicate that you are a constituent from their district;
  • Be sure to personalize in some way your email (e.g. mention your project if you are an awardee or there is a project in your community); and
  • Best method is to email your Senator; the second best method is to call his/her legislative aide directly.  If you leave a message, be sure to indicate that you are a constituent!

THIS IS THE FINAL STRETCH!  Together, we’ve accomplished more than many thought was possible.  Your emails/calls WILL make a difference.  Please make contact with your Senators in the next 24 hours.  (more…)