Walgreens Chimes In
September 18th, 2007 at 3:28 pm
The folks at Walgreens corporate headquarters rang us this afternoon to make one thing clear: They won’t open a store on the site of the beautiful old Denison High School building.
As we reported yesterday, Denison city officials have rushed to tear down the classic 1913 structure. The demolition was rumored to make way for a new Walgreens. Several sources said the city has had conversations with Walgreens about the site. (City leaders haven’t returned calls for comment from the Observer).
But the company says no. “We have been looking in the Denison area, but we have no interest in [the old Denison High School] site,” said Carol Hively, a spokesperson at Walgreens corporate headquarters in Deerfield, Illinois. “We will not build a store there.” She said she didn’t know if the company had ever had conversations with city leaders about the site.
Walgreens’ firm denial only deepens the mystery of what the city plans to build on the school site. One comment to our previous post mentioned a rumor in town about a new library. Either way, the area is about to lose a grand, historic building.
September 19th, 2007 at 12:06 am
It will be a sad, sad day if the Denison City Council demolishes our beloved school building. The oldest school building in the State of Texas.
My family has three generations who all attended that school as have many other families from Denison.
There will never be another such beautiful school once we lose this unusual, memorable building. As I said, a SAD SAD DAY INDEED!!
September 19th, 2007 at 8:28 am
I would have liked to see the Old Building remain, But we need to come to the fact that to rebuild the Structure now would cost way too much and Save Denison History does not have the funds available to restore the building back to its original luster, at this very point in time with the damage already done it will be too expensive, we need to wake up and realize that.
September 20th, 2007 at 8:17 am
Save Denison History had over 2 million dollars available to begin the reastoration and there funds are still building despite City Councils decision. On Sept. 4, 2007 cash and checks were still arriving at the table across from the school. Residents of all ages asking for the organization to keep trying. Someone in Denison thinks there is a better idea for the site of the first graded public school in our state. Who are you? What is your great idea? Why was it urgent to tear this historic building down before sharing this information with the citizens of Denison?
September 20th, 2007 at 5:10 pm
Resident,
You should really find and read this local newspaper article in the Herald Democrat “Questions remain as old DHS still standing” http://www.heralddemocrat.com/articles/2007/08/05/local_news/news01.txt
It begins: ““Everyone would like to save the old high school. But it’s just too expensive!” That statement has become a common refrain in the controversy over saving Historic Denison High School from the wrecking ball. Denison’s mayor, city council members, economic development officials, and citizens interviewed by reporters — all have repeated this claim many times over.”
and continues:
“One Denison leader, however, has quietly been making a detailed investigation of the actual costs that would be involved in renovating the landmark structure. He finds that renovation would cost far less than has been commonly assumed…To see what a more pragmatic approach would cost, (Richard) Munson in November 2000 solicited a nonbinding bid from an experienced Dallas contractor for renovation of the school. The bid total was just over $3.3 million, including $300,000 for the demolition already done.”
“The detailed bid costs were broken down into three phases. Phase I projected about $1 million for demolition, site work, landscaping, lighting, exterior repairs, and dry-in. Phase II anticipated $914,000 for interior plumbing, electrical, HVAC, fire and security protection, and elevator. Phase III cost was $603,000 for interior finishout.”
“Recently, Munson has been revisiting those figures. “I was first-hand involved in generating these numbers. They were pretty bare bones. And there has been some moderate increase in costs since then. I think a more realistic total for the entire project today is $5 million. You’re probably talking $1.5 million for each of the three phases,” said Munson.”
And there is more in the article about the costs being even lower due to generous offers from skilled craftsmen and donations of materials at cost. So in reality, dear Resident, this was a very do-able thing. I hardly think Mr. Munson’s lower, pragmatic figures were unknown to city leaders.
September 23rd, 2007 at 11:11 pm
Just ask any city who,has history if it does not draw
people from everywhere to make tours to that city
everyone likes to return to their roots,from time to
time i think there isn’t a price tag, ever put on
folks revisting the pass,and cities trying to grow
doesn’t make it because it takes unity to grow.
and has been symbolic to lots of people .i am not
from this area ,but it really hurts me to see this
bulding be torn down if they are going to do it can’t
it be done in a faster way? it seems to me it is
took down, too slow.this is so painful for many
September 24th, 2007 at 10:47 pm
It takes only two of the five senses, to save historic architecture: taste & vision. Good taste to appreciate the value and charm of historic monuments, and the vision to see the potential economic boom in a future of historic tourism. Historic structures, restored and utilized, often make more sense years after they’ve been saved, when other economic tie-in’s present themselves (the Old Red Courthouse in Dallas’ Dealy Plaza - as an example, it will actually pay for itself in time).
Denisoians who thought the ‘old yellow rose’ an ugly eyesore have neither vision or taste. It’s what the building would have become AFTER it was restored.
I take my hat off to the citizens of other Texas towns who save their history. And I admire the folks who tried to save the old Denison High School. They had vision and good taste.
July 15th, 2008 at 7:45 am
If it has tires or testicles, you’re going to have trouble with it.–Linda Furney, U.S. politician