Wondering what's going on with the Jensen-Byrd Building? 

    As many of you know, the City of Spokane has issued WSU a demolition permit for the historic Jensen-Byrd Building so that the Texas-based company Campus Advantage can replace it with new student housing. SPA has appealed this permit and other City decisions because we think the building should be renovated, not demolished. Thanks in large part to SPA’s efforts, on Monday, August 6th, Campus Advantage pulled out of the deal, citing “the opposition” to the project. We are not celebrating yet, however.

    WSU’s demolition permit is still active, and so is our appeal. On Friday, August 10th, the Spokesman-Review reported that WSU officials will wait a year or more to decide what to do next. The Jensen-Byrd    Building is still threatened with demolition. The SPA Board has retained the services of noted land use attorney David A. Bricklin, of Bricklin & Newman, LLP from Seattle, and has authorized up to $9,000 for his fees. We have already spent a good part of that amount filing and preparing for our appeals. To pay for it, the SPA Board has shelved our $10,000 Heritage Grant Program for this year.

    Please help us save the Historic Jensen-Byrd Building!

    1. Write a Letter to the Editor of the Spokesman-Review, and also send it to Washington State University calling for the renovation of the Jensen‐Byrd Building, to return it to service as a productive part of our downtown economy.  See talking points and addresses below.

    2. Support our fight with a donation. Help us go the distance!  Mail a check to SPA, PO Box 785, Spokane, WA 99210, or donate online at our website at:http://www.spokanepreservation.org/donate.asp.

    3. Attend the hearing for both appeals on October 17, 2012, 9:00am, UNLESS the City revokes the demolition permit before then. We will keep you informed. The hearing is currently scheduled for: City Council Chambers, Lower Level of City Hall, 808 W Spokane Falls Blvd. The public may not speak, but your attendance is important to show support.

    Potential talking points:

    -- Historic preservation is an economic driver in Spokane. The renovation of historic buildings creates a unique sense of place that attracts new residents, businesses, and tourists (imagine Spokane without the Davenport, the Fox, or its many historic neighborhoods). Historic rehabilitations contribute millions of dollars each year to the regional economy, creating jobs and stimulating new business activity and development. The Jensen-Byrd Building is one of the largest and most visible historic buildings in downtown Spokane and its re-use would create jobs and stimulate additional projects in the area.

    -- The Jensen-Byrd Building represents the period of Spokane’s greatest historic growth as the cultural, economic and transportation hub in the Inland Northwest region. Unlike the Davenport and the Fox, the    Jensen-Byrd Building tells the story of the hard-working, blue collar citizens of our area. Our historic architecture represents the broad spectrum of our collective history. The preservation of history and   heritage is a critical component to community revitalization!

    -- The Jensen-Byrd has been determined eligible for the Local & National Registers of Historic Places. Federal Rehabilitation Tax Credits, the Spokane County Special Valuation and Community Development   Block Grants could be available for qualified rehabilitation projects. Using these credits would help the rehabilitation of the Jensen-Byrd Building “pencil out.”

    -- Have you or a family member worked in the Jensen-Byrd Building or another of Spokane’s wonderful historic buildings?  Share your personal stories and memories – these stories make the history come alive.

   -- SPA is pro-development. SPA favors WSU’s plans for expansion of the Spokane campus and for new housing in the University District. Demolition of the Jensen-Byrd Building is not necessary for these plans, and indeed could be renovated to support them.

    -- Historic Preservation is a sustainable, “green” building practice because it reuses high-quality materials and the “embodied energy” that went into the original construction. Demolition wastes these resources, and new construction only uses more.

    -- The University of Washington has renovated numerous historic buildings on its Tacoma campus.  The first phase of construction, along with the master plan for campus construction, earned nationwide  recognition for architectural excellence and historic preservation. The project included renovating six historic warehouses with 133,000 square feet of space. WSU can do the same in Spokane with the Jensen-Byrd Building.

    -- Claims that the Jensen-Byrd Building’s column grid is too narrow and ceilings are too low to make renovation feasible are false. These characteristics are opportunities for interesting development.

    -- The Strategic Master Plan of Spokane’s University District, a planning initiative that Washington State University is both a financial partner and board member, highlights historic preservation as a “Core Planning Principle.” The plan notes that preservation projects “have been catalysts for additional public and private investments, creating a vibrant environment that is making news regionally and nationally.” The Jensen-Byrd Building is the most significant historic building in the University District.

    -- The Spokane Downtown Plan (a portion of the Comprehensive Plan) repeatedly highlights Spokane’s historic buildings as among Downtown’s key “assets to leverage,” and specifically notes that “the need and   desire for added density must be balanced with the historic character and livability Spokane residents value so much” (Downtown Plan, “Executive Summary,” p. ix).

    -- In October, Spokane will host the annual conference of the National Trust for Historic Preservation in acknowledgement of Spokane’s commitment to historic preservation as an integral part of economic  revitalization; the aforementioned one‐week event will bring an estimated 2,000 leading preservation professionals to Spokane (source: National Trust for Historic Preservation), inject about $5.5 million into the local economy (source: Spokane Convention and Visitors Bureau), and focus national attention on historic preservation issues in Spokane. Let’s give the nation some good news to talk about!

Addresses of recipients—and please remember to cc SPA a copy of your letter or email, to PO Box 785, Spokane, WA 99210 or to: mailto:info@spokanepreservation.org

    Spokesman-Review:

    Letters to the Editor Policy -The S-R welcomes letters of up to 200 words on topics of general interest.  All letters are subject to editing. Please include your full name (first name, middle initial, last name) and mailing address (with city, state and zip), and include a daytime phone number where you can be reached for verification.

    To submit by email, send to:  editor@spokesman.com

    To submit online, use this link:  http://www.spokesman.com/letters/submit/

    To submit by mail, send your letters to:

             Editor

             Spokesman-Review

             999 West Riverside Ave

             Spokane, WA 99201

    To submit by fax:  (509) 459-3815

   Washington State University:

   To write to WSU President Floyd, send your letter to:

     Email:  presidentsoffice@wsu.edu

     Mail: President Elson S. Floyd

             Office of the President

             Washington State University

             PO Box 641048

             Pullman, WA 99164-1048

    To write to WSU Board of Regents Chair Baseler:

    Email :  becki@wsu.edu

    Mail:  Theodore P. Baseler

             Chair of the Board of Regents

             Washington StateUniversity

             PO Box 641048

             Pullman, WA 99164-1048

    Thank you so much for supporting SPA's efforts to save the Jensen-Byrd from demolition!

 

If you get a chance, drive down East Sharp and take a look at the Huetter House as it looks after having been moved in 2008. SPA worked diligently with representatives of Bishop White, Gonzaga and others to arrive at this extraordinary solution to saving this important Spokane landmark. SPA placed an ad in the Inlander to thank Gonzaga for all their work in getting the house moved and renovated. See the link below for a copy of the ad.

 

Links of Interest:

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2010/sep/17/huetter-revived/ Inlander ad

September 2007 Newsletter