Hard Times Come Again

Montgomery Park (nee Ward) circa 1927

Portland’s urban core clearly isn’t what it used to be.  A recent consultant’s report suggested that office vacancies will hit 40 percent this year, and it might be higher already with unexpired leases going unused.  Fewer workers downtown mean fewer business opportunities for others.

 A dramatic example is the nine-story Montgomery Park building in Norwest Portland, which sold for $255 million in 2019..It was flipped recently back to the lender for $37.7 million.  “The bargain price points to the woeful state of Portland’s commercial real estate market,” wrote Jeff Manning, an outstanding “Oregonian” business reporter.

Montgomery Park joins Jackson Tower, the J.K. Gill Building and the Loyalty Building as prominent office sites that have been turned back to their lenders without winning any alternative bids.  Clearly, big-money investors currently are keeping their wallets in their pockets..

The new entry won't happen

Swept way with the pandemic was a plan approved by the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission to revitalize the old Montgomery Ward building by adding a glassy new western entrance and several new retail and restaurant spaces.  Plans once approved by the commission for renovating four other historic sites in or near downtown also appear to be dead or on hold. (Notable examples include re-use proposals for the former Multnomah County Courthouse and First Church of Christ Scientist.)

For the most part, central cities evolve organically.  Offices bring workers downtown who eat lunch, drink coffee, go to bars and restaurants after work, and frequent nearby retail shops.  All those ancillary enterprises suffer and close when workers and shoppers disappear.

What also is lost is the communal experience Portlanders used to feel by shopping downtown at the major department stores, going to movie theaters and concerts.  As people become more entrenched and isolated on their cell phones and computers what Portland – and other cities – lose is a “sense of place” that makes a city feel different and special.   

What does the future hold?  The “pandemic-induced deterioration” described by one analyst does not appear to have speedy solutions.  Substantial numbers of workers have found it preferable to work from home, and internet-based shopping shows no signs of ebbing.   Downtown and its important historic buildings could take on much more of a “ghost town” feel unless smart minds can conceive of new ways to make the urban core vibrant again.

 Faced with the glut of new shopping opportunities in the suburbs, Portland more than 50 years ago launched a wide-ranging “Downtown Plan” aimed at retaining its urban importance.  Its major conclusions at the time led to the creation of Waterfront Park, the downtown transit malls and development regulations that sought to place taller buildings in the heart of the core – all good ideas at the time.

 Now it might be time to gather concerned citizens and smart minds from many specialties to undertake a new long-range plan, taking into consideration the unavoidable consequences of the current trends.

 What’s at stake is the loss of urban reputation that could lead someone speaking of Portland to borrow the famous line from Gertrude Stein:  “There is no there there.”  It would be a communal loss ranging beyond our pocketbooks. .    

 ---Fred Leeson

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Is this the 'Long Goodbye?'

 

Gone...soon to be forgotten?

Thousands of residents apparently responded when Portland officials asked late last year for responses to an internet survey  about whether to return historic statutes that had been illegally removed from city parks in 2020.

 Alas, now that the survey deadline has passed, the survey results evidently never will be disclosed.  Many people apparently objected to the bias they believed they saw and independent number-crunchers found that none of the answers met the standards of statistical significance.

 Thus the City Council is expected on Feb. 28 to wade into public review of a proposed two-page policy that clearly makes public impressions about diversity, inclusion and equity more important than someone’s historical significance.

 On the face of it, that means goodbye, Abe Lincoln; adios, Teddy Roosevelt; and farewell, George Washington.   You can review the proposed policy here:  https://www.portland.gov/ryan/news/2024/1/30/immediate-release-commissioner-ryan-proposes-draft-policy-criteria-review

 The policy tries to include some other options, like expanding the historical context for public figures who have come under attack for views that were not publicly prominent in their own eras.   There are people who think the issue of “presentism” of modern political correctness, so to speak, should not outweigh the historical significance of an important person.   The proposed policy includes a cumbersome review process for artworks that have been called into question by residents who feel offended by them, ultimately leading to a recommendation to the Portland City Council.

 But the overriding reason for disqualifying a work of public art is this: “The subject or impact of a piece of artwork is significantly at odds with (the) City’s values of antiracism and equity.” 

 Compromises may be possible.  One idea being explored informally is the “president’s exception” that would allow the return of Lincoln and Roosevelt to their historic bases in the South Park Blocks, and moving George Washington to Washington Park.  (The Thomas Jefferson statue belongs to Portland Public Schools, so the school board would have jurisdiction.)

Experts who have studied the proposed city policy say it contradicts some other codified city planning regulations.  One requirement is that statues listed on the city’s own historic inventory would have to be reviewed by the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission.  The landmarks commission is scheduled to discuss this point at a meeting on Feb. 26.  Anyone interested in testifying at the Zoom meeting can sign up here:  https://www.portland.gov/bds/landmarks/events/2024/2/26/2-26-24-historic-landmarks-commission-hearing-agenda

 Just two days later, the City Council is scheduled to consider the proposed policy submitted by Commissioner Dan Ryan.  One can imagine that no speedy or lasting answer can be expected quickly.

 ----Fred Leeson

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Square one...again

 The subject of a heroic Portland architectural preservation “save” finds itself in limbo again thanks to the pandemic and disarray downtown.

The 1883 Ladd Carriage House, one of downtown’s last and most artistic wooden buildings, is now up for sale following the closure of the upscale Raven & Rose restaurant and bar near the end of 2021.  While its landmark status likely will save it from demolition, there is now way of knowing what its future holds until a new buyer takes control. 

Though its windows are now boarded up for protection, the building is still turn-key ready for use as a restaurant and bar.  But in its many earlier decades, the one-time horse and carriage barn also housed retail shops, a dance hall, architectural office, construction office and a law office.

The historic three-story building was threatened with demolition starting in 2004.  After considerable hand-wringing and advocacy by preservation advocates, the building was jacked up and moved three blocks where it sat in a parking lot in 2007 and 2008 while underground parking was constructed on its original site.   

Upon its return, the building needed a lot of restorative help.  “A tremendous amount of time and treasure went into saving the building and converting it into a first rate restaurant,” said Paul Falsetto, an architect deeply involved in the project.  “I can only hope the eventual new ownership would continue with that use.”

Among old-building lovers, the carriage house is significant for its interesting design and exterior craftsmanship, as well as for its historic connections to downtown and to William S. Ladd, a pioneer businessman, banker, developer and early Portland mayor.  The glorified horse barn as built across what was then S.W. 7th Ave. (now Broadway) from Ladd’s 30-room mansion that was demolished in the 1920s.

Falsetto said the carriage house “displays its historic value to the city through its elaborate exterior visage, and the advantage of a restaurant use is that people can experience its interior as well. The second floor ‘hayloft’ is one of the great historic spaces of its era, with its original and unique truss work in full display.”

 Unlike the long-departed Ladd mansion, the carriage house was designed in the English Stick Style by architect Joseph Sherwin, a native of England.  It is Sherwin’s only known work in Portland. In its original guise, the structure included space for twelve horses, Ladd’s personal carriages, a hayloft, and residential quarters for the estate’s coachman and gardener. 

The Raven & Rose restaurant, which opened in 2011, was hurt economically by the pandemic and by homeless campers who set up tents along the Columbia Street frontage.  While Portland has made efforts to clean up the tent sites, downtown remains less populated during daytime and evening hours because many employees continue working from home instead of downtown offices.

Those of us who believe that vibrant urban centers mark a pinnacle of civilization have to wonder how downtown Portland and urban centers will survive in the years ahead.

 “For downtown Portland to regain its stature after a challenging past few years, we need our important buildings to return back to full life,” Falsetto says.  “A reenergized Ladd Carriage House would be a shining example of this, and show yet again that reinvigorated historic properties link past civic pride with positive hope for our city’s future.”

 By the way, the asking price is $3.5 million, should you be interested. Is it negotiable?  Likely so. You can see more images of the building at the real estate listing site here: https://www.loopnet.com/Listing/1331-SW-Broadway-St-Portland-OR/28306478/

 ----Fred Leeson

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'Enlightenment' in Portland Parks

New pole and light (Portland Parks Bureau)

 Preservation advocates had good reason to be worried last year when the Portland Parks Bureau started removing iconic vintage light poles from several parks, citing and damage from water and rust.

 The Parks Bureau’s spotty record on preservation over the years prompted concerns about what the new lights might look like.  But now there is good news: For all but the most particular observers, the new poles and lights will look substantially indistinguishable from the old ones.

 Of course a lot of people simply won’t care what the new ones look like.  However, lights are a contributing element to the appearance of a historic park … especially at night when their electric glow adds an attractive ambiance.

 Because 88 lights and poles will be replaced in and near Mt. Tabor Park, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the new equipment needed approval from the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission.

By a vote of 4-1, the majority found that the proposed poles and lights were “close enough” in appearance to the old ones that date to the mid-1920s. (The park itself was created in 1909.)  Brett Horner, the Parks Bureau planning manager, said the new poles already have been placed in Duniway and Laurelhurst Parks, and also will be used as replacements elsewhere.

Old light and pole (Portland Parks Bureau)

 The only significant difference in appearance is that the old poles showed a slightly taller polygonal base.  Otherwise the poles and glass fixtures are substantially indistinguishable. One advantage of the new fixtures is that they will not allow light to escape from their tops to help reduce light pollution at night.

Horner said the old poles were attached to steel wires wrapped around rebar staples inserted in concrete.  As water inevitably worked its way into the concrete poles, the steel wire suffered from corrosion, making them eligible for falling over.  Water intrusions also leads to cracking and flaking in the concrete.  Horner said the old anchoring system was a “very deficient design.”

 Unlike the old poles, the new ones will be sunk five feet into the ground.  Horner said holes will be bored only slightly larger than the bases of the new poles.

 Maya Foty, the landmarks commissioner who voted against the light plan, said she wasn’t convinced the Parks Bureau had done enough research to determine that all lights in Mt. Tabor Park needed to be replaced.  She also noted the differing appearance of the poles at ground level.

 ----Fred Leeson

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Fred Meyer's 'Mistake' Earning Acclaim

 

Alderway Building

The economy was booming in 1927 when a Portland entrepreneur with a background in selling groceries undertook his real desire at the time: property development.

 Fred G. Meyer assumed the 99-year lease on the Pantages Theater at the corner of SW Broadway and Alder Street.  He used the steel structure of the former 1400-seat vaudeville theater to build a four story building with ground floor retail – still a somewhat novel idea for SW Broadway as Portland’s retail core was shifting westward from Third and Fourth Avenues.

 Today the Alderway Building is Portland’s latest nomination to be considered for the National Register of Historic Places.  Completed in 1928, its upper stories with large Chicago-style windows, metal spandrels and brick pilasters are substanti8ally unchanged.  The nomination form finds the building notable for its architecture and for its history in the evolution of downtown retailing.

 Alas, the timing wasn’t good for Fred Meyer.  The building had been completed for hardy one year when the Great Depression heavily crippled the national economy for more than a decade.  One of the Alderway’s successful ground floor tenants, however, was Fred Meyer Toiletries and Remedies, an early venture into self-service sales of nostrums and cosmetics. 

 

(National Register Nomination Form)

Meyer eventually convinced druggists to join his stores as prescription-selling pharmacies, which became a key ingredient in Meyer’s slowly evolving concept of one-stop shopping.  His tenure at the Alderway Building also included a dry-cleaning and laundry outlet, from which he began selling men’s underwear – and got him interest in the apparel business.

Meyer was asked once when he first thought of the one-stop shopping concept.  His answer: Never – he was taking advantage of opportunities as he came across them.

With his growing success as a regional merchandising giant, Meyer seldom mentioned his failures.  His mindset was always looking ahead.  At some point in the Depression, he gave up control of the Alderway lease and once said he lost $50,000 – likely his largest business “mistake” in his long career.  The episode terminated his interest in property development for its own sake.  All his “development” thereafter was building Fred Meyer stores.

 Architects for the Alderway Building were Claussen & Claussen, two brothers who operated successfully in Portland for many years.  During the Depression the Claussens renovated a few buildings that Meyer purchased and converted to Fred Meyer stores before his big Post World War II boom. 

------Fred Leeson

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Recognizing Portland's LGBTQ+ History

 

Former Majestic, Now Crystal, Hotel (National Register form)

In its quest to recognize Portland’s historical diversity, the city is proposing to add to the National Register of Historic Places two sites frequently used by the city’s LGBTQ+ residents in an era between 1948 and 1985.

One is the former Majestic Hotel – now known as the Crystal Hotel at 1217 SW Harvey Milk St. -- which from 1969 to 1985 offered baths, hotel rooms, a bar and restaurant aimed at serving LGBTQ+ customers.  The area came to be known informally known as Portland’s gay triangle.  One of its enterprises was the Club Portland bathing site that operated from 1969 to 1985, and is believed to be the city’s first LGBTQ+-associated business.

Today, the Crystal Hotel, which was renovated in 2009, is part of the McMenamin entertainment and lodging chain.  The building itself was added to the National Register in 2009 as a contributing member to downtown Portland’s commercial growth.  The LGBTQ+ history would be an addendum to the earlier listing.

“The building, more than any other in Portland, provided an affirming focus on an LGBTQ+ population, hosting a unique combination of uses supporting and protecting the queer community,” the nomination states.  The hotel and baths were vital places where socio-medical workers strived to provide information about HIV and AIDS in the early 1980s.

Brandon Spencer-Hartle, the city's historic resources manager, said the federal government is encouraging local jurisdictions to make their historic landmark designations more inclusive concerning human diversity.

 

Normandale Field, 1948 (National Register form)

The second site proposed for the national listing is the Erv Lind Field in Northeast Portland’s Normandale Park.  Built in 1948 a national American Softball Association women’s championship tournament, it was first called Normandale Field.  The name was changed in 1965 in honor of Portland businessman whose Erv Lind Florists team was a frequent national competitor in women’s fast-pitch softball competition.

Erv Lind died in 1964 and his team imploded.  At their peak in the early 1960s, the Florists drew several thousand paying customers to their games in Normandale Park. The field continues in active softball use, despite the decline of women’s softball as a semi-professional sport.  

Competitive team sports opportunities were rare for young women in the 1950s and 60s.  While some players were lesbians or bisexual, they were instructed to appear neat, tidy and well behaved.

“Players, whether they were lesbian, bisexual, or straight, grew up together and stood outside of the societal norms together for this period of time, because they were athletes. The 1950s caricature of the mannish lesbian athlete affected all of the players, reminding them to publicly maintain a heterosexual, feminine identity,” the nomination states.

Regardless of their sexuality, the teammates developed comradery and lasting friendships.  The softball field became a welcome place to socialize and enjoy sport.  National interest in the sport declined after the middle 1960s.

 Detailed histories of both these sites were researched and written by Kristen Minor, a former member of the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission.  With approval from the commission, the nominations will be forwarded to the State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation on Feb. 16.  If approved by the state committee, the nominations will be sent to the Interior Department for final consideration.

-------Fred Leeson

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Update on the David Campbell Memorial

 

The good news is that temporary chain-link fencing has reduced vandalism, graffiti and trash inflicted on the David Campbell Memorial that has stood at SW Alder and 18th Ave. since 1928.

The better news is that sometime in the future, the fencing will disappear and a new Portland Firefighter’s Memorial Plaza will adjoin the Campbell monument that honors the city’s fire chief who lost his life fighting a major Southeast waterfront fire in 1911.

Ironically, most Portlanders know nothing about Campbell or efforts to honor 76 Portland firefighters killed over the years while trying to save Portland residents and property.  Plans developed by the David Campbell Memorial Association seek to do a better job honoring all fallen firefighters while bringing more attention to David Campbell. 

There is no deadline for completing the plaza.  Don Porth, a retired firefighter and president of the memorial association, hopes to raise roughly another $1 million to pay for the improvements.

Rendering of proposed plaza (David Campbell Memorial Association)

“We are not doing anything difficult,” he says of the plan.  “It will reflect the character of Portland firefighters – hard-working, determined, reliable – not fancy.”  He added, “Our goal is to provide better explanations and to make it more inviting.”

So far, Portland firefighters have raised $131,000 for the project, and the Portland City Council has added $350,000.  Porth, who has been working steadily on plans for over two years, hopes to raise additional funds from businesses and neighborhood groups in the area and from interested citizens.  Potential donors can find how to contribute at DavidCampbellMemorial.org.

The historic memorial and its bronze urns (now removed for restoration) were designed by Paul Cret, a University of Pennsylvania professor who was a leading Beaux-Arts designer of the era.  Porth said retired Portland architect William J. Hawkins III, who is deeply devoted to protecting Portland’s public artworks, helped design the new plaza to be finished as soon as funds are available.

Porth said he also hopes to develop sufficient money to provide an endowment for future maintenance. 

 Legally, the irregular triangle on which the memorial sits is part of a right-of-way owned by the Portland Bureau of Transportation.  Porth said a stewardship agreement has been reached with the city that allows the Portland Fire Bureau and the Portland Firefighters’ Association more control over the memorial’s maintenance. 

Chances are, almost every Portland citizens recognizes this memorial, but few know what it is about.  The improvements will be a welcome change.  

-----Fred Leeson

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New Life at The Sandy Jug

 

There is no need for architectural vocabulary to describe the Sandy Jug.  One glance says it all. 

After serving for decades as a strip club, this 96-year landmark at 7414 NE Sandy Blvd. is being remodeled into a new business where patrons and servers will be fully clothed.  More on that later.

 The Jug (also called by punsters The Sandy Jugs during its stripper era) was one of three unusual buildings erected in the 1920s that visually represented the businesses inside.  The Big Shoe at NE 20th Ave. (now long gone) was a shoe repair shop.  The Steigerwald Dairy building with its big milk bottle at NE 37th Ave. remains, but the bottle was encircled decades ago with a newer façade.  (A little-known fact is that the bottle still survives inside.)

The Steigerwald Dairy before remodeling

 Both The Big Shoe and the Steigerwald Dairy were designed by the company owners.  The Sandy Jug was different.  It was designed by the architectural firm of Bennes & Herzog, well known in the era for Portland theaters (including the Hollywood), several imposing residences of differing styles and for several buildings on the Oregon State University campus.

One theorizes that the Jug did not rank highly to Bennes & Herzog on their personal list of accomplishments.  Nevertheless, it ranks as a well-known Northeast Portland landmark even without formal designation; losing it would have been sad, indeed.

 The jug originally served as a refreshment venue for an adjacent gas station, known as the Gusher, which presumably was the primary business.  To attract motorists, the small triangular lot included an 80-foot faux oil gusher that was removed long ago.    

 Today, the Sandy Jug is being remodeled by a company headed by Marcus Archambeault and Warren Boothby, who in recent years have revitalized several old-school bars in Portland including The Alibi, The Sandy Hut and Holman’s.  Their business philosophy is to take old so-called dive bars and to revive them into attractive, popular destinations.

 So far, the exterior of The Sandy Jug has been tastefully repainted and narrow vertical windows that were boarded up during the strip club years have been restored with glass bricks, largely restoring the jug to its original appearance.  A covered patio has been added with outdoor seating – for clientele when the weather is appropriate.  An opening date for the new enterprise has not been announced.

Those of us who enjoy a tall cold one from time to time may well be able to help usher The Sandy Jug into its second century. 

 -------Fred Leeson

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Looking Back on 2023

 

Theater of Tomorrow

While some encouraging architectural preservation projects are currently in progress, 2023 was more notable for its losses than for completed successes.

 On the bright side, the former Oregon Theater, erected in 1926, has been returned to productive cultural use – after decades as a porn theater – as the new home of the Northwest Film Study Center.  It now bears the unwieldy name of PAM-CUT, with an associated title of Theater of Tomorrow.  (At least the latter makes sense.)

The thoroughly cleaned and brightened 376-seat theater will be the home of movies and live cultural entertainment, sponsored in conjunction with its corporate parent, the Portland Art Museum.  Saving the historic theater also preserves retail spaces fronting on the 3500 block of SE Division.  The best possible result in the preservation world is to restore an old building successfully to its original use.

The late Parkway Manor

On the downside, 2024 marked the demolition of the Parkway Manor, a charming Art Deco apartment building, later owned by Portland State University for student housing that faced the South Park Blocks.  PSU chose to let the building deteriorate over the years, until it could make the case that rehabilitation was too expensive.  The university has nothing in mind so far to replace it.  Thanks for the chain-link fence, PSU.

 Another loss was the closure of U.S. Bank’s historic and elegant banking floor in the historic building that once served as the bank’s headquarters.  At least the building designed by A.E. Doyle is still in good condition, and one hopes that a successful use can be found for the ornate main floor without compromising its aesthetic integrity.  One wonders that if the bank had not fled to Minneapolis many years ago whether management would have decided on closure. 

In its glory...

Back on the plus side, the owner of the magnificent but badly run-down neon sign marking The Palms motor hotel agreed to remove the sign, restore it and return it to the site when the motel is replaced with an apartment building.  The sign is a great example of 1950s exuberance when N. Interstate Avenue served as the main highway to and from Seattle.

 We finish with a win-loss scenario.  Heroic efforts by the Restore Oregon preservation organization to restore and find a new home for the former Jantzen Beach carousel finally met with success after several years.  Alas, the new home will be in The Dalles, not Portland.  It is unfortunate that Portland could not or would not find a location for it.

When a new building is completed to house the carousel, it will be another reason to visit the National Neon Sign Museum where it will reside.

 -----Fred Leeson

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Progress on the Elk and Fountain

 

(Architectural Resources Group)

Yes, it is taking a long time for the City of Portland to return the D.P. Thompson elk statue and fountain to its historic location, from whence they were damaged by protesters and then removed by the city removed in 2020.

 Alas, the project is not as simple as it might seem.  Despite some dithering about which city agency would be in charge, the project requires some time-consuming steps.  Such as refabricating 17 pieces of granite that were either destroyed or too damaged to be repaired, and plumbing in a new water recirculation system.  A new concrete foundation must be laid and the elk sculpture itself be braced for an earthquake.

 Another difficult issue is determining what contractor is able to perform this challenging historical project.  The city is required to accept the minimum bidder, and the Water Bureau try will protect itself by qualifying eligible bidders who can demonstrate their expertise.

Shaded areas show granite to be refabricated.  (Architectural Resources Group)

 The City Council in May, 2022, voted to restore the elk and fountain after it had been removed two years earlier.  Current estimates suggest a completion time will be late next year.

 Historically, the fountain --gift from an early Portland mayor – was intended to provide drinking water for horses and dogs.  All four watering troughs were damaged beyond repair, in part from fires that were set when the fountain was dry.  A protective measure might be to let water sit in them even when not circulating, possibly with use of mild antifreeze. 

 Typically, the water was turned off for up to six months per year.  The recirculating water system is expected to save 6.8 million gallons if it were to operate all 12 months.  That would be enough water to service 146 houses, according to the Water Bureau.

William J. Hawkins III, a retired architect whose efforts ultimately led to the restoration plans, told the Portland Historic Landmarks Commission that he has seen signs of destruction at the original site, which is now mounded with dirt and plantings.  “Perhaps someone is still out there to damage this fountain,” he said.

Peggy Moretti, a landmarks commission member, suggested that the final plan include bollards that could protect the fountain and statue from vehicular damage. 

 The commission reviewed the restoration plans at the 60 percent stage of design.  A final review will occur presumably in the first quarter of 2024.  “I think we are getting everything we want,” said Commissioner Matthew Roman.  When the work is ultimately finished, “This should be a proud moment.” 

 -----Fred Leeson

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A Boost for Foster Road

 

Encouraging work is progressing on S.E. Foster Road to restore a 108-year old theater building into active use as a performing arts venue.

The Classical Ballet Academy located next door to the historic Ames Theater at 5516 S.E. Foster Road plans to reopen the re-named Foster Theater for the Performing Arts next year.  The renovation work has already cleaned up the exterior of the 1915 building and installed a new blade sign and marquee.

 Sarah Rigler, director the ballet academy, envisions the old theater as being used for community events and performing arts.  The theater was most recently known as the Day Music Co., which bought the theater in 1966 and used it mostly for displaying pianos for sale. 

 The renovation is a boost for the Foster Road neighborhood.  The vacant theater frontage after Day Music’s departure had become a target for graffiti painters and a site for homeless campers. 

The theater had an original seating capacity of 260.  It was built in 1915 by Charles A. Ames, who managed it for many years into the 1950s.  In 1929 he had new equipment installed for talking pictures, and the theater maintained its status as a first-run movie house into the early 1950s. 

(Oregonian advertisement, 1966)

 Day Music Co. had been founded in downtown Portland in 1929.  It moved to Foster Road in 1959 before it added the Ames building next door. 

Rigler intends for the ballet academy to continue teaching classical ballet as well as new dance forms including jazz and hip hop.  Fitness classes also are on the agenda.  She founded the academy in 2004.

 The marquee suggests that the theater space will become available in the fall of 2024.  In the meantime, we must hope that the newly-painted bright white walls will not become a new canvas for illegal artistic endeavors. 

---Fred Leeson

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