Coming Soon! What isn't in the press releases and interviews

Tuesday night, May 1st, the Historic Trust brought their proposed Providence Academy development of mixed use retail/offices and condos/apartments before the Clark County Historic Preservation Commission for review & feedback.

The developer (Marathon Acquisition & Development) and the Pres/CEO of the Trust, Mike True, put quite the spin the “compatible juxtaposition” aesthetic of the proposed development, saying they didn’t want to copy the look of the Academy, but instead to give “nods” to the Academy through certain architectural details. They pointed out their proposed use of the muted earth-tone color scheme, soldier courses (brickwork above/below window), and the presence of brick/brick details. However, when questioned by the CCHPC about working in more details from the Academy (such as arched windows, panes, etc), the response from the developer made it clear that economics determined the design decisions.

After the presentation, the Commission was ready to give their feedback/comments. It seemed like every Commissioner took issue with the size/scale/massing of the development, the way it looms over & diminishes/overshadows the Academy, the way the views of the Academy we enjoy now from the downtown area will be gone, the way the development (along with the library) create a border that separates the historic site from downtown, and the parking. There was a Commissioner who had concerns about the landscaping (new & old) flowing together & being compatible.

There was a Commissioner who asked the President/CEO of the Trust if the Trust had pursued a “powerful” means of securing funds called “unused development potential”. The Pres/CEO had to ask the Commissioner to clarify what he meant. Why doesn’t the Trust know about these Preservation methods for securing funds for their historic building(s)? The Historic Trust has owned the Academy for four years. Shouldn’t they have a trained Preservationist on staff to help make decisions in the management of this historic site?

We have been led to believe that this development is the only way to secure the funds necessary to preserve the historic Academy, but there are established Preservation methods that the Trust has left untapped. It would lead one to believe that they are approaching this as a real estate venture, and not from a Preservation perspective.

For instance, what exactly is “unused development potential” and how can it benefit the Historic Trust and the historic properties it owns & manages?

Stay tuned! We at Protect Providence Academy will, in an upcoming series of posts, explore “unused development potential”, along with the problems with the current proposed development.

And don't forget to sign the Petition if you haven't already!