Restoration and new building in Astoria
I was just thinking about the balance between restoration and new building in Astoria, in relation to the article I'm writing about waterfront development for hipfish, and the community college here in Astoria. We're seeing a lot of new development along the waterfront, in town, and especially on the periphery near Warrenton. This development is part of an economic boom hitting the North Coast at a tenuous time in history. While most people are appreciating the benefits of the boom, I'm thinking that putting our resources into new building at the cost of restoration is not necessarily a good thing. Up until recently, restoration was big in Astoria. Hotel Elliott, the Liberty Theater, and a large assortment of Victorian and Craftsman homes in the area have been restored to former glory and then some. These buildings were and are a major draw for tourists and transplants (including me). Despite some restorations of buildings along the waterfront, the building spree is really taking off, and while this has some benefits, the free-for-all way we're going about it, with no plan and little community participation, is not promising. Many in the community are scared about where we're headed, especially with the specter of LNG and other heavy industry moving in up the river. And fiscal conservatives will tell you that you don't go on a spending spree when times are good without some plan to deal with the inevitable future time when things aren't so good.
This all points in the direction of restoration. You're still spending money and employing people, but the results are a better looking built landscape, more energy-efficient and better functioning buildings, and most important, a chance to plan out the future with participation from the whole community. The big losers would be the developers and land owners that have waited for land prices to appreciate, and now can make a killing on speculation, or selling, or developing their land. They could be compensated partially for this potential loss, but owning land is always tenuous, as zoning, regulations, and other conditions can change at any time.
Restoration of Clatsop Community College could be a great opportunity to put our local people to work creatively, and spend our economic boom money on something that will benefit the community long into the future. Restoration of the historic buildings at the college should compliment some new building, with the result a better functioning campus able to serve the community better. In addition, the college has many buildings in town, at the MERTS campus, and in Seaside that could be better integrated in the college structure and function, making for a better functioning institution. Restoration of some of these buildings (i.e. the Performing Arts Center) would be great projects. This work could go on at the same time as the college looks for ways to enhance their educational and vocational programs, while helping to keep what we have, so we can have time to figure out what we'd like to see elsewhere in our community as far as the built environment goes.
And there are an awful lot of empty and decaying buildings in Astoria, both commercial and residential, that could use restoration. Again, this could only enhance our economic position (as a draw for tourists and transplants), while we take the time to collaborate as a community and figure out how we want the place to look in the future (thereby developing a plan and guidelines for development that were easily enforcible while being flexible, since we know that things change over time).
Exciting things are happening in Astoria and the region, but left on their own, the excitement could soon turn to disgust. I really want to stay here and contribute to a thriving, vibrant, fun, and beautiful community and surrounds. Restoration is the answer for today. And what we do tomorrow should depend on a shared vision of the community.
This all points in the direction of restoration. You're still spending money and employing people, but the results are a better looking built landscape, more energy-efficient and better functioning buildings, and most important, a chance to plan out the future with participation from the whole community. The big losers would be the developers and land owners that have waited for land prices to appreciate, and now can make a killing on speculation, or selling, or developing their land. They could be compensated partially for this potential loss, but owning land is always tenuous, as zoning, regulations, and other conditions can change at any time.
Restoration of Clatsop Community College could be a great opportunity to put our local people to work creatively, and spend our economic boom money on something that will benefit the community long into the future. Restoration of the historic buildings at the college should compliment some new building, with the result a better functioning campus able to serve the community better. In addition, the college has many buildings in town, at the MERTS campus, and in Seaside that could be better integrated in the college structure and function, making for a better functioning institution. Restoration of some of these buildings (i.e. the Performing Arts Center) would be great projects. This work could go on at the same time as the college looks for ways to enhance their educational and vocational programs, while helping to keep what we have, so we can have time to figure out what we'd like to see elsewhere in our community as far as the built environment goes.
And there are an awful lot of empty and decaying buildings in Astoria, both commercial and residential, that could use restoration. Again, this could only enhance our economic position (as a draw for tourists and transplants), while we take the time to collaborate as a community and figure out how we want the place to look in the future (thereby developing a plan and guidelines for development that were easily enforcible while being flexible, since we know that things change over time).
Exciting things are happening in Astoria and the region, but left on their own, the excitement could soon turn to disgust. I really want to stay here and contribute to a thriving, vibrant, fun, and beautiful community and surrounds. Restoration is the answer for today. And what we do tomorrow should depend on a shared vision of the community.
Comments