Laserfiche WebLink
REGULAR MEETINGOCTOBER 8, 2007 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />urged the Council to pass this ordinance now and save this building and start this <br />Montessori School as soon as possible. The time is right, the building is right, the <br />opportunity is right, don’t throw it away. <br /> <br />Ms. Susan Youens, 850 Forest Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, spoke in favor of this bill. <br />She stated that she is a veteran of issues like this, she grew up around it. Her father was a <br />specialist, an architect who specialized in rehabbing historic buildings for the School <br />District of Houston, Texas. She grew up hearing about the economics of rehabilitation <br />versus new construction. According to those childhood lessons rehabilitation is not only <br />more cost effective but new construction almost inevitability involves built in <br />obsolescence setting in sooner rather than later. He became an ardent fan of <br />rehabilitation over new construction and after seeing the construction, the virtues, the <br />values of Marquette, she is of like mind and urged the Council to please consider <br />landmarking this building. <br /> <br />Ms. Susan Bullock, 843 Forest Avenue, South Bend, Indiana, spoke in favor of this bill. <br />She stated that everything that she had prepared to say tonight has already been said, so <br />she just wanted to reiterate that she would like to see this building landmarked. She <br />stated that she spent some time in Marquette having only vaguely known where it was in <br />South Bend. She advised that she was a case worker for a couple of years, and there were <br />children of all economic levels and was assigned to some that were having some <br />problems. She was in the classrooms for hours with these children observing and she <br />could see that they were taken in by the walls, the windows, and the big radiators. There <br />is just a dignity that her kids when they were home were in very humble buildings and <br />this was there only chance to have an experience of solidarity of beauty and history. She <br />really appreciates that and hopes that when the Council tours the facility you will have <br />that same feeling. <br /> <br />Mr. Ronald Searcy, 16287 Berry Knoll, Granger, Indiana, spoke in favor of this bill. He <br />stated that he is an architect and also is the current President of the local chapter of the <br />AIA, and is here tonight representing himself. He stated that he attended a school like <br />Marquette and spent four years there. As a child he marveled at its size and its historical <br />value that represents. Marquette Primary Center a PWA project, the only one of its kind <br />in the area is something of great significance. He encouraged the Council to support this <br />bill. <br /> <br />Ms. Yvonne Herring, 1707 Hamilton, South Bend, Indiana, spoke in favor of this bill. <br />She stated that she lives just doors down from Marquette Primary Center. She <br />encouraged the Council to vote in favor of landmarking this building. Ms. Herring stated <br />that all three of her daughters went to this school and she has lived there for forty-five <br />(45) years and appreciates its historic significance. <br /> <br />Ms. Amy Herdman, 330 W. Colfax, (Old Central High School) South Bend, Indiana, <br />spoke in favor of this bill. She stated that she lives and works very passionately for the <br />preservation of history. She noted that people often ask her how did she know what she <br />wanted to do for a living. Ms. Herdman reflected back on when she was in sixth grade <br />and she went to a lab school affiliated with Kent State University. There they taught non- <br />traditional teaching methods and ramped creativity they also had very idealist student <br />teachers, who when that school was threatened of being torn down, organized the <br />students to a sit-in at the University President’s Office. She noted that they got as much <br />press coverage as this issue with preserving Marquette Primary Center. That was a very <br />sentimental moment in her development, the preservation bug bit her then and she now <br />stands before the Council tonight thanking the Council for their consideration of <br />landmark status for Marquette. She congratulated the Council for separating the rederick <br />from the fact, for considering the school based entirely upon the criteria that have been <br />described. Honestly, she noted that it is a very simply question, to approve landmark <br />designation for Marquette the Council needs to only value what Marquette represents. <br />Fine craftsmanship, local shared history, and the accomplishments of the thousands of <br />idealist little learners that have matriculated through the doors. She thanked the Council <br />for their consideration. <br /> <br /> 11 <br /> <br />