Howe school

One of the recent arguments for why Howe School is to be closed is the representation that the building is historic and that renovations/additions would cost three times the price of new construction.

In fact, Howe School, is not an historic designated building at either the local, state or federal level. And as a point of information the national cost average for adaptive reuse of older properties is one and one half times the cost of new construction, not the stated three times.

So whether renovations occur at Howe or any at Central Park, the budget for modifications on a square footage basis would be comparable. But the existing locations, and the prevailing community perception of safety, are in no way comparable.

Such distracting and inaccurate representations suggest an executive decision not an open, deliberative, process.

Renovations of operating schools require scheduling potentially disruptive heavy construction during summer recess. Compartmentalized internal renovations, on a phased basis, permit the unaffected portions of the school to continue its normal teaching schedule. New additions typically occur outside the building envelope and can therefore occur during the normal academic calendar.

Is this true? Is this going to happen whether we like it or not?

A: The facts are we: have been prevented from doing any work there without meeting the regulations governing historic buildings so I am not sure what you are referring to. Also, the last time we did work there, the cost was astronomically more than less historic buildings. That notwithstanding, the second reason that prohibits us from building at Howe is we would have been forced to close the building while building over the existing structure. That is, assuming it would even be permitted.

Again this is a proposal not a done deal. Obviously we are getting a lot of input from all corners and there are strong feelings both ways. Ultimately a decision will be made sometime in the next four to six weeks on how the district will proceed with this proposal.

The involvement of SHPO, (State Historic Preservation Office), in any modification to Howe does not single out that Howe School is "historic". In fact, SHPO is required by law to provide oversight to all schools where Federal or State monies are being used for renovations.

The process, if Federal dollars are involved, is called the 106 review process. If State money is utilized it is called the 1409 review process.

SHPO reviews funded architectural school designs for general cultural and historic compatibility. but does not require rigid compliance to the Department of Interior Standards.

The implication that renovations to Howe would be uniquely burdened by historic restrictions is therefore misleading.

marydale wrote:

The involvement of SHPO, (State Historic Preservation Office), in any modification to Howe does not single out that Howe School is "historic". In fact, SHPO is required by law to provide oversight to all schools where Federal or State monies are being used for renovations.

The process, if Federal dollars are involved, is called the 106 review process. If State money is utilized it is called the 1409 review process.

SHPO reviews funded architectural school designs for general cultural and historic compatibility. but does not require rigid compliance to the Department of Interior Standards.

The implication that renovations to Howe would be uniquely burdened by historic restrictions is therefore misleading.

A: Unfortunately these rules drive costs up very significantly. For example, when the district wanted to replace old and broken windows at Howe several years ago, we were forced to have wooden windows made by hand to resemble the original building’s windows to preserve the historic appearance. The cost was very high. Additionally, there are other more critical issues around space and the accessibility that made building onto the Howe facility not an option.