FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  

CONTACT:    Jack A. Gold, Executive Director

Providence Preservation Society

Voice 401-831-7440, Fax 401-831-8583

 jgold@ppsri.org

PROVIDENCE PRESERVATION SOCIETY OUT TO PROVE

ECONOMIC VIABILITY OF RENOVATING HISTORIC SCHOOLS

 PROVIDENCE, RI, October 24, 2007: The Providence Preservation Society (PPS) has completed an evaluation of the Facilities Master Plan for the Providence Public Schools, prepared by educational planners DeJONG, using an historic preservation perspective; the results of the study imply that the cost differential between reuse/renovation and new school construction is not substantial.  This suggests that reuse of Providence's historic schools as public schools should be seriously considered. PPS commissioned David R. Finney, AIA, president of the Design Partnership of Cambridge to undertake the study that examined, through two specific case studies, the feasibility of cost-effectively meeting the City's educational needs through renovation of historic school buildings.

The study focused on a small school, the West Broadway Elementary School at 29 Bainbridge Avenue, and a large school, Mt. Pleasant High School at 434 Mt. Pleasant Avenue. Design Partnership looked in depth at the programming options for these schools and came up with solutions that go along with the requirements outlined by the school department. Estimated construction costs were prepared for both renovation and new school options. The study questions DeJONG's position that cost differences justify new construction rather than rehabilitation of existing historic buildings. PPS recognizes that with school projects there is a need to reconcile educational programming and cost but believes that through creativity and compromise, modern educational programming can be successfully executed in most historic school buildings.

Another issue raised by the study is sustainability. Demolition and disposal of building debris are critical factors that must be considered; the energy costs of new construction and new materials are great. Also, demolition requires the same hazardous waste abatement (and associated costs) as renovation. In fact, remediation for demolition is usually more expensive and extensive than that required for renovation. The cost figures presented by DeJONG do not take these factors into account and the report, while suggesting green elements in new schools, does not value the sustainability of reusing existing buildings.

One of Providence's principal assets as a city is its collection of quality historic architecture. School buildings are a vital part of that legacy. PPS believes that the inherent value of these schools warrants an effort to rehabilitate them. PPS has already successfully worked with the East Side Public Education Coalition (ESPEC) neighbors, parents, and representatives from City Hall and the Providence Public Schools to save the Nathan Bishop Middle School from potential demolition. PPS plans to continue to advocate for the preservation of historic schools as the phased facilities plan unfolds. According to PPS Executive Director Jack Gold, "We understand the value of state-of-the-art school facilities but know that it has and can be done in historic buildings. Historic schools have a quality of materials and quality of design that cannot be matched given the budgets that have been allocated for new school construction."

On November 6, PPS and the West Broadway Neighborhood Association will host a public meeting where David Finney from Design Partnership will present the study, and will provide examples of historic schools that have been successfully reused, from strict historic restoration to major additions and renovations that complement the original architecture.  The meeting will take place in one of the schools in question, the West Broadway Elementary School at 29 Bainbridge Avenue on Tuesday, November 6 at 7:00 p.m.

Design Partnership has been designing and planning schools since 1981; many of their projects involve historic preservation but they put educational programming goals first when evaluating rehabilitation. Mr. Finney's work was partially funded through a grant to PPS from the National Trust for Historic Preservation awarded in June, and more recently by a President's Grant from the Rhode Island Foundation.

The Providence Preservation Society, founded in 1956, is a nonprofit membership organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life in the city of Providence through historic preservation and the enhancement of the built environment.