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CITY OF SOUTH BEND <br />STEPHEN J. L,UECKE, MAYOR <br />OFFICE OF THE MAYOR <br />July 18, 2002 <br />Mr. John Oxian, President <br />Historic Preservation Commission of <br />South Bend & St. Joseph County <br />227 Jefferson Blvd. <br />South Bend, IN 46601 -1830 <br />Dear John: <br />The purpose of this letter is to express my sincere regret that the former Oliver School <br />located at 924 W. Indiana Avenue (Tax ID 18- 8032 -1418) in the Rum Village Neighborhood <br />must be demolished and to request that the Historic Preservation Commission grant approval for <br />its demolition per the attached Certificate of Appropriateness. <br />It is always with deep sadness that we watch historic landmarks of the Oliver School <br />caliber cease to exist. The school was once a neighborhood asset and a source of pride for the <br />City, the School gradually became a community eyesore and is currently beyond the scope of any <br />reuse. As noted in the recently completed Oliver School Site Re -Use Plan, the condition of the <br />building and the level of its deterioration make preservation and reuse an unattainable goal. <br />From a number of conversations I have had with my staff, my understanding is that the Historic <br />Preservation Commission would be willing to consider granting approval for the School <br />demolition but would like the City to preserve a number of artifacts from the building. Prior to <br />building demolition, the City will direct a salvage company to remove certain artifacts to be used <br />in the redevelopment of the site. A preliminary list of items to be preserved appears on the <br />Certificate of Appropriateness. <br />Please also know that the demolition project has the full support of Rum Village <br />neighborhood residents (see attached letter of support). Once permission to demolish the Oliver <br />School is granted by the HPC, the City will complete the transfer of ownership process, which <br />has already started and received preliminary approval from the County. Our intention is to <br />proceed with the demolition in October of 2002. <br />COUNTY -CITY BUILDING • SOUTH BEND, INDIANA 46601 <br />PHONE 574/235 -9261 • FAx 574/235 -9892 • TDD 574/235 -5567 <br />