As part of the public school construction bond referendum approved by the voters in 2004, the City of Englewood agreed to purchase two of our older school buildings from the Board of Education: Lincoln School and Russell C. Major Liberty School. Both of these buildings were built in the first decade of the 20th century and have become both obsolete by modern standards and expensive to maintain or renovate. The properties are located in Englewood’s central business district. It was believed at the time of the referendum that the City would recoup its expenditures by selling one or both of these properties to private investors. In addition, any such sale would place non-taxed property back on the tax roll.

From the point of view of the school system, the Lincoln School will no longer be needed once construction is completed on the new John Grieco School. This could be as soon as September 2008. Relocating the school central offices and Alternative School now housed in the Liberty School will be more difficult and no plan has yet been finalized.

From the point of view of the City, we are glad that the Council has finally started a process that will include the public's input on what the fate of these properties will be. Unlike the case with most private development, the City is in a position to exercise control over the density, architectural character and purposes of these sites. Positive efforts to attract desired types of investment can be made. However, long-term objectives should outweigh short-term market factors.

There has been a great deal of public discussion on the establishment of a community center in Lincoln School, such as exists in some neighboring communities with recreation facilities and meeting rooms. In fact, the Council passed a $3,000,000 bond issue (now revoked) for this purpose. Much of the pressure for a community center stems from a perceived shortage of extracurricular facilities for our young people. While providing such facilities is a laudable goal, it seems likely that there are more practical and economical ways to do so. An assessment of existing programs and facilities, in order to focus on specific unmet needs and minimize additional costs, is a crucial first step.

Another consideration is the architectural distinction of the Liberty School. The former Roosevelt School on Broad Avenue, now residential condominiums, and the former Engle Street School, now the Renaissance office center, are examples of our ability to adaptive and reuse our outdated school buildings while preserving their distinctive architecture.

The fate of the two school properties may be the most important development decision that remains to be made by our municipal leadership in this decade. We urge that final decisions are only made after the public has had a full opportunity to give its input and a thorough investigation of reasonable alternatives has been completed. The discussion should start now.