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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Mike Benbow, Business Editor benbow@heraldnet.com   Published: Tuesday, November 3, 2009 Historic trust seeks to halt Collins teardown By Mike Benbow Herald Writer The Washington Trust for Historic Preservation has asked the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to force a redo on the Port of Everett’s efforts to save the Collins Building. In a letter to the agency, field director Chris Moore cited a letter that he said shows that port officials were “both aware of and complicit” in a strategy to raze the historic building. The Collins Building, a former casket factory, is on the state and national historic registers as an example of factories that used to line Everett’s waterfront. The Army Corps of Engineers allowed the port to create a new marina for large boats in the vicinity of the building, but said it could do so only if it worked with Historic Everett and other preservation groups in efforts to save it. A federal panel that advises the Corps recently said the port had done everything it needed to do to receive demolition approval. But the panel also suggests that the port consider holding off on razing the building. Moore suggested that a letter written by Rockey Hill and Knowlton public relations to Maritime Trust, the port’s partner in a proposed $400 million redevelopment of the area, shows the port didn’t get preservations efforts a fair chance. The letter said Maritime wanted to remove the building, minimize the time it took to do so and minimize negative reaction to the move. It then outlined some tactics to make those things happen. If that indeed was the strategy, Moore said, then it was a conflict of interest for the port to enter into an agreement to “explore all alternatives for the viable redevelopment and rehabilitation of the Collins Building.” Moore, in a letter to the Jonathan Smith of the Corps dated Oct. 29, asked that the agreement be nullified and the port be directed to start over. If that doesn’t happen, he’d like to see the issue be part of the dispute resolution process. Bert Meers of Maritime Trust said the public relations firm was never hired and its proposal was never initiated. The port’s John Mohr said that the port chose to enter into the agreement and to explore ways to find a private developer interested in saving the building without using public money. Only one proposal came forward, and it failed to find financing. Supporters of the building have said Maritime and the port grossly inflated the cost of refurbishing it in an effort to receive approval for its demolition. READER COMMENTS Log in or register to post new comment | Log out That Last Paragraph..... is what this is all about. Historical building fans always think it is best to save everything, even when it is not even any too old. Has any of these people even taken a good look at the Collins Building? The Hostorical (hysterical?) folks assume the costs to re-open the Collins Building were over-estimated. But with what research and objective information do they make these claims? Having worked on many "Hystserical" projects, and I call them that 'cause they always cost way too much, my professional opinion is that the restoration costs for the Collins Building have been under-estimated. So far no private interests can get financing as this project makes no economic sense, not even close. So are we going to allow a few, seeminly only with emotional notions, force this economic dissaster on to us? If one thinks it can be saved, then buy it and make it happen. Ken Cox | Nov 3, 2009 7:01 am | 1 replies | View all | Post reply | Request removal

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