Sometimes historic preservation doesn't make sense

Midwesterners who visit Europe are often amazed at the history they encounter, seeing buildings that have been in use virtually unchanged, for centuries.

That's a shock to those of us whose family history goes back only a few generations. We may recall stories our grandparents or great-grandparents told about the early days, and we may live in homes built by some of the first Europeans to settle on the Plains.

We're all for preserving history. Newer is not always better, and in this modern environmental era, keeping something old useful is often the "green" thing to do.

When taxpayer dollars are involved, however, sentimental reasons may not be enough.

We sympathize with those who don't want to see the old West Ward building torn down. Generations of memories were created in the building, which served McCook admirably from 1925 to 2003.

But a recent tour of the building was a severe dose of reality. Electrical panels are antiques, plaster is crumbling, and worst of all, mold is taking over many of the rooms.

According to a feasibility study, it would cost more than $2.5 million to deal with interior demolition, mold and asbestos, then make the building usable with the addition of new mechanicals, an elevator, garage, entrance, contingencies and professional fees. That's the better part of a million dollars more than it would cost to build a new municipal safety center from scratch, including demolition of the old school.

Since the building was being considered for the National Registry of Historic Places, federal stimulus funding could not be used to demolish the building -- a cost some estimate as high as $160,000.

City manager Kurt Fritsch had the right idea during the recent tour -- honor the students, teachers, staff and administrators who shaped the future while at West Ward. The building was an important tool to be used in preparing West Ward students to face the world, and should be remembered as such.

But trying to convert a 95-year-old building into a modern facility sometimes just doesn't make economic sense.