1912 MHS Presentation Monday night

[Linda Pall <lpall@moscow.com>]

Dear Visionaries,

Monday night, at 7:30 PM on the second floor of CIty Hall, Third and
Washington, the Moscow City Council will receive the preliminary design
report for renovation of the 1912 MHS. This is an exciting juncture for this
project: the uses have been translated into a project plan.

Though I've always seen a future for this building, I have to say that I
thought our final product might look more like a completed jigsaw puzzle,
with a series of disparate parts, all important and valuable but not
necessarily presenting a unified image of this project. What you will see
MOnday night is a great example of a triumph over the 'partitioning'
possibilities: this project projects a unity that is amazing... We will not
have a jigsaw puzzle, we will have a beautiful, functional scuplture with
these plans, a real gift to the CIty of Moscow for many tomorrows!

I have been delighted with the hard work of the design team, led by Design
West with the historic preservation architectural services of
Boyle-Waggoner, and the excellent coordination of Tom Hudson. Every step of
the way a technical team including community professionals and city staff
has worked carefully with the designers and citizen use committee.

Rather simply put, this cultural center for Moscow will house on the top
floor an exciting science 'discovery' center, a baby version of the Oregon
Museum of Science and Industry where kids and the rest of us can learn in
ahands on way lots more about the world we live in. Check out the proposal
that science advocates have put together: it's a treat.

On the middle floor the focus is Parks and Recreation offices and public
contact, the Moscow Arts COmission with a great gallery and offices for the
arts, a lounge with a democratic information center component to enhance
citizen participation and information access, a large multi-function public
meeting area with a stage, and one of the little gems of the development, an
historic classroom which will take us back to the 1912 school building
coordinated by the Latah County Historical Society (which can be used as a
modern meeting room besides), and preservation of the wide, actually rather
grand hall way for access and art.

The bottom floor star is the "Great Room." This room, larger than the
present community center room in CIty Hall, will be the home of senior
citizen meals, area folk dance groups, special parties and much more. The
kitchen will serve this space. On the east side, a senior citizen center is
proposed with an adjacent painting studio. On the west side, a pottery
studio and adjacent workshop are proposed.

I've probably missed several aspects of the project but come Monday night
and express your opinion about the project to the Council. The Council's
task MOnday night is to give direction to staff, if the preliminary report
is accepted, so that the fund raising for this plan can proceed. This is a
very important decision. Be there!!!