Mr. Mayor,

Community dialogue and analysis shows considerable concern for the plan to demolish the Platt-Watters School complex. A broad spectrum of neighbors, civic and local business leaders are calling for the immediate pause of efforts to demolish the complex due to concern of irreparable harm their demolition will cause to the long-term prosperity of the Riverside community. We're requesting a pause on the ongoing demolition to re-evaluate the Platt-Watters School complex and its role in the revival of the Riverside Square commercial district.

The historic Platt-Watters complex is located 1000 feet from the area commonly known as Riverside Square. In their former life, the school buildings served as a critical cog in the economic engine for The Square. The in-and-outflows of school children on a regular basis funneled hundreds of families into The Square, providing opportunity for regular engagement with the local business community just a stone’s throw away.

There is a strong case to be made for the redevelopment of the Platt-Watters complex as a residential project, within the existing buildings, solely on a new tax revenue basis for the city. Additionally, the complex qualifies for federal historic tax credits offsetting 20% of redevelopment expenses. Demolition of the complex has immediate and long-term financial consequences for the community. 

Riverside Square has been stuck in a rut for the better part of the last two decades. Take a stroll down memory lane on Google Street View to refresh your memory and to see how far we’ve come. One doesn’t need to spend more than a few minutes in the area of The Square to see how much farther we can go if we continue to push dominoes in sequence. As the metaphorical dominos fall the cultural capital grows commensurately in strength. The restaurants add local musicians to the Saturday night routine. The Christmas tree lighting grows from a two hour affair to a weekend long winter festival. The one way street gets shut down for the Sunday street arts festival. We become “the destination” for cyclists instead of the stop-over for coffee enroute to “the destination”. Community doubt about what we can accomplish becomes confidence about how quickly and how many we will lift by working together as Riversiders.

Doors leading to economically and culturally stronger communities open and close all the time for myriad reasons. What needs to be crystal clear to our City’s political leadership is that at this moment, leaders with vision, experience, and resources are at the door in Riverside. The only thing that will slow, but hopefully not stop, our “Riverside Renaissance” is poor political leadership. Leaders without vision. Leaders without the ability to confidently and clearly articulate the path forward to our community. Your civic and business leaders are standing by. Now, today, is the day to correct the course at The Platt-Watters School complex and allow us to get back to doing our work restoring the cultural center of our Riverside community.

We, the members of the Riverside community, are frustrated by the lack meaningful conversation about the future of this critical community asset. We demand the immediate cessation of any structural demolition at the Platt Watters School Complex. Our community is made up of individuals and families with a diverse range of skills, areas of expertise, backgrounds, and desires for the future of our community. We insist upon an opportunity for meaningful dialogue with community development experts and the members of the community before irreversible destruction occurs.