COE Architecture International

A letter from a resident of the Fairfield Historic District and Architect, Chris Coe, related to the proposed demolition of 1030 Kings Highway. The attached MPC report is not attached here. We will work to get the letter for all to read.

Friends, Neighbors, Colleagues:

We are at a watershed moment in the city because a beautiful, intact and fully usable 100 year-old historic building at 1030 Kings Highway, within the federally-designated Fairfield Historic District, is being threaten with demolition.

This is the moment when all of us as citizens need to ask ourselves : What do we value?

Please get involved to oppose the demolition of this historic building.

I’m not going to editorialize too much on this issue because I believe the attached report and recommendation from the MPC staff does a very good job explaining why the building should not be demolished.

But, I do want to make the following important points:

· We do not need another drive-through fast-food restaurant on Kings Hwy in our historic core. This intersection is already dangerous and ugly enough,

· This intersection of Kings Highway and Fairfield is the gateway to 2 important historic districts, the Fairfield Historic District and the Highland Historic District,

· At this intersection sit 3 historic buildings, each over 100 years old and each in excellent condition and being used regularly,

· I am not against new business in Shreveport, I am against new businesses replacing historic and useful buildings unnecessarily,

· Historic preservation and economic vitality are NOT mutually exclusive. In fact, they are symbiotic:

We all love to visit historic towns like New Orleans, Natchitoches, Charleston, Savannah and Santa Fe because they offer a unique visual identity, they tie us to our past, each exudes wonderful charm and scale, and each profit because they fought to retain their historic characters. So again I ask: What do we value?

Here is a quick summary of where the issue now stands and what action I recommend each of you take:

· On Friday, Feb 23rd the Historic Preservation Commission unanimously recommended that the Certificate of Demolition be denied.

· The issue now heads to the Executive Director of the MPC, Alan Clarke, who has the full discretionary authority to deny the Certificate of Demolition.

Action Needed:

I recommend that each of you individually email Mr. Clarke asking him directly to deny the application for a Certificate of Demolition: [email protected]

Also, the Highland Neighborhood Association has started a petition that I suggest you all sign ASAP: https://chng.it/cQbJv5MNvn

· If Mr. Clarke at the MPC denies the Certificate of Demolition (this is likely) then the applicant can appeal the denial to the Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA).

https://www.shreveportcaddompc.com/boards-commissions/zoning-board-of-appeals-163

At this point I would recommend all of us as individuals send emails to the members of the ZBA asking them to uphold the MPC denial.

· If the Zoning Board of Appeals upholds the MPC denial of Certificate of Demolition then the issue will go to District Court, at which point the issue unfortunately will get “political”.

If you’re interested in learning more about the issue I will be on KEEL radio today from 5PM to 6PM to discuss this issue as well as the ongoing battle to save Fairgrounds Field baseball stadium.

Thank you again.

Best regards,
Christopher W. Coe, FAIA

COE Architecture International

https://theforumnews.com/article-5555-form-function.html

FORM & FUNCTION FORM & FUNCTION, ARCHITECT CHRISTOPHER COE BRINGS WORLD-CLASS DESIGN TO DOWNTOWN SHREVEPORT

Big Step:
Groundbreaking tomorrow morning for our new Northwest Louisiana State Office Building in Downtown Shreveport!

So proud to be involved in this project, which is a model of sustainability, adaptive reuse, and civic enhancement.

And thankful for the many State Officials who fought the good fight against unchecked greenfield development at the cost of our urban core. They had the vision to infuse new life into this old building and into Downtown Shreveport, particularly our local State Representative Cedric B. Glover who previously served Shreveport as City Councilmember and Mayor.

And of course we thank Governor John Bel Edwards, Director of Administration Mr. Jay Dardenne, Office of State Buildings Director, Mr. Billy Wilson, Facility Planning & Control Director Roger Husser, and State Senator Robert Mills from NW Louisiana.

This is what LEADERSHIP looks like!

COE Architecture International updated their phone number.

COE Architecture International updated their business hours.

Neighbors:
I encourage you to view the video of yesterday's city council meeting during which I voiced my great concern about the inappropriateness of the new traffic light pole structures being erected by the City of Shreveport Public Works & Engineering Department directly in front of Byrd High School and Kings Highway Christian Church, two of our most revered buildings and both on the National Register of Historic Places.
My comments begin at the 53:20 mark.
https://fb.watch/49lyZW_QfB/

If you agree with my assessment, then please reach out to Mayor Perkins, CAO Whitehorn , council president Flurry, and councilmembers Nickelson and Fuller to request that they immediately stop this project.

We must do more to protect and improve the visual identity of our city and not inflict more needless and avoidable damage.