Community members are disappointed in the decision to demolish the President Street Academic Center.
Dear President McDavis and members of the Ohio University Board of Trustees:
We are among many in the community disappointed in the decision made on Jan. 22 to proceed with demolition of the President Street Academic Center. The primary request made by the city in the form of a resolution, and by groups and individuals who contacted you about the issue, was a delay in the vote. The delay would have allowed the university, the city and concerned citizens to meet together and share information and ideas.
Had the board been willing to take this extra step, the end result might well have been the same — approval of a recommendation for demolition. But engaging rather than dictating would have avoided stoking the sense of distrust that has marred past town-gown relationships.
Mention was made during the course of the board’s public session on Jan. 22 that the university had two community meetings about the President Street Academic Center: one with a group of citizens and the other with the mayor and the president of City Council. Those meetings were used by the board to assert that there was sufficient community engagement to warrant proceeding with the demolition.
It is worth noting that the meeting with the citizens was not initiated by the university and involved only a small number of individuals. Those who attended the meeting felt that little was accomplished and that many questions were not answered. In an effort to let you know that the meeting was not productive, they sent a letter to the board about it. You were in receipt of that letter prior to the board meeting. The touting of what was largely a failed meeting as evidence of “sufficient” community outreach suggests that show trumps substance.
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A number of public and private letters were sent to the board both in 2015 and 2016. The letters asked a series of questions and posed alternative solutions that would have met the College of Business’s academic needs without resorting to the demolition of the President Street Academic Center. Until university officials were prompted, much of the correspondence was not acknowledged. None of the questions were answered. None of the alternatives were explored. This approach on the part of the board and the university continued during its public deliberations.
Having been dismissed in this way, some might say that it is time to move on to other challenges facing citizens and members of the university community. However, it is probably worthwhile to keep the President Street Academic Center in mind. It raises many questions; foremost among them are, how can citizens of the Athens community substantively engage with the university and the board of trustees on matters of mutual concern? Do taxpayers and city administrations have any say when it comes to buildings owned by the state of Ohio?
Knowing the answers to these questions will be helpful as the board’s prospective agenda includes the president’s residence and Park Place planning. It would be best to hear directly from the board about these questions.
While the phrase “we agree to disagree,” used by the board and the administration to dismiss community concerns, has a certain pithiness, it is not a strategic, innovative or transformative way to deal with community issues. Can you assist us in finding ways to “agree to agree?” We look forward to your detailed and timely response.
-Tim Traxler
Signatories: Mary Nossek, Bruce Kuhre, Carol Kuhre, Jeff Chaddock, Phil Cantino, Heather Cantino, Joan Kraynanski, David Callahan, Tom O’Grady, Lori Doctrow, Craig Kinzelman, Lee Branner, Janet Keenan, Dane McCarthy, Cyrus Moore, Tim Moore, Chris Schloss, Jestie Moore, Betty Snow Rosser, Ken Sams, Jessica Cyders, Charlotte Wachtel, Bob Toy, Pamela Keen, Loraine McCosker, Donna Morgan, Jim Jezik, Lynn Garbo, Bob Garbo, Rick Linn, Beth Ferrier, Amy McKee, Sandy Plunkett, Tim Traxler, Maryann Hartwick, Sally Jo Wiley, Chris Henry, Tom Burcher, Beverly Schumacher, Don Herman, Sue Farley, Susan Righi, Larry Cowdery, Chuck Rich, Joanne Prisley, Mitch Farley, Ann Bonner, Peter Kotses, John Winnenberg, Jen Bowman, Donna Goodman, Wendy Shields, Bob Eichenberg, Cecilia Rinaldi, Herta Rodina, Harold Perkins, Richard McGinn, Daniel Torres, Stephan Scanlan, Jeff Marks, Nicholas Kiersey, Katherine Jellison, Dave Drabold, Geoff Buckley, Alyssa Bernstein, Marsha Dutton, Gene Ammarell, George Eberts, Arianna Rinaldi-Eichenberg, Mary Anne Reeves, Guy Philips, Ann Fidler, Karl Runser, David Gedeon, Mark Shubert and Marcia Shubert.
