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In 1919, one of the post-World War I strikes in Boston focused on the deteriorating conditions and antiquated features of public buildings that were so old that they had been constructed before the American Civil War. Today, the United States finds itself with a vast roster of public buildings constructed during the New Deal – much longer ago from the present than the Civil War was from 1919.
These buildings sit in various conditions from great to abject disrepair, in part depending on how well they have been maintained and how easy it has been to retrofit them as times have changed and new features have become necessary. Historic preservation, which can help us avoid losing some of our beloved streetscapes, is generally only successful when significant investment happens over the years to keep these landmarks (or potential landmarks) in good shape consistently.
Preservation also becomes substantially more difficult when a building effectively turns into a stranded asset where continued or new uses cannot cost-effectively be balanced against both ongoing maintenance and major capital upgrades, such as asbestos removal, heating and insulation system replacements, disability access, and modernized communications.
The City of Newton’s Public Buildings Department has been struggling for years now to figure out how to handle this exact challenge at the former Newtonville Branch Library, which is currently serving as Newton’s Senior Center. Not only was it clear that the Senior Center was dated, cramped, and poorly accessible, but also it was unclear if the building could be cost-effectively and practically rehabilitated and reused for that or any other purpose, public or private.
After literally hundreds of community meetings and in-depth analysis of the building conditions, possible locations (or land swaps), and the needs of Newton’s rapidly growing and diverse elder population, the City of Newton made the decision to move forward with preserving the building’s historically significant small stained glass windows and otherwise demolishing and replacing the New Deal building with a larger, modern, and accessible complex and parking structure on the site.
In addition to reincorporating the historic windows, the new Senior Center building will have other architectural flairs that recall both the current building and other major Newton civil buildings such as the main Library and City Hall.
The City’s team is still very interested to hear public feedback on specific potential elements of the building’s look and design.
On Thursday this past week, the Newton Historic Commission took up and rejected a proposed Historic Landmark nomination of the existing building, the former library. It is, with the exception of the small stained glass windows that will be preserved, not especially historic because of how many similar New Deal buildings were constructed and remain standing – many preserved in better condition or with more realistic renovation prospects.
There was still no clear scenario under which the existing building could be rehabilitated and repurposed, which would have made landmarking a more realistic proposition. The building has been in poor condition for a long time and would have required a great deal of money to be brought back to a good condition for reuse.
While it is sad to lose some historic buildings, not all of them can be saved, unfortunately, as the ravages of time and changing human needs alter the costs and benefits to preservation.
The good news is that what is coming next for the site is vitally important and will be a big improvement over the current situation. Here’s what one frequent user of the Senior Center and an advocate of the proposed new building on the existing Newtonville site – my mother! – had to say recently:
“I’m a current user of the Senior Center. The new Senior Center belongs in a village center such as Newtonville. Users of the Senior Center can take advantage of the nearby grocery store, restaurants, coffee shops, and other businesses when they come. The Senior Center is an important anchor to the neighborhood. Being able to interact with the village center is what makes the fabric of our community. We engage with others when we visit the center. Then we go to lunch or coffee with friends where we may run into someone else that we know. This is what makes a livable community. With a Senior Center in a village center, we have many options to get there. It might be by car, but it might also be by bicycle, on foot, by bus, or by train. Although the new senior center won’t have enough on-site parking for everyone, there is plenty of parking available on Highland Avenue, Austin St Lot, and various side streets. This provides more foot traffic for the local businesses which adds to the feeling of community.
I’d also like to point out that the Senior Center is not just for seniors. The programs are open to anyone. Some just happened to be more focused on topics of interest to seniors such as how to apply for Medicare. Many of the programs occur during the day, which works for retirees and older people who don’t want to drive at night, but movies, lectures, concerts, and various groups are not age restricted. I’ve been a member of the Chamber orchestra for many years and it’s open to adults of all ages.
Let’s get this new Senior Center built now!”
When it opens, the new Senior Center will quickly be a widely popular and beloved institution in Newton’s community life and a gem in the heart of Newtonville, despite all the heated controversy that has followed the project over the years. In this way, it will follow the same course as one of the most controversial civic projects in Newton’s history, the Newton Free Library, which opened the year I was born, 31 years ago.