Arena sweetener

Parts of historic buildings could be saved

By Theresa Goffredo

Herald Writer

EVERETT — Backers of a proposed $75 million hockey arena and special events center tried to sweeten the deal with $125,000 to offset the fact that historic buildings are going to be torn down in the name of preservation.

Representatives of the Everett Public Facilities District, established to operate the arena, also offered to retain parts of two historic buildings scheduled for destruction by incorporating them into the new arena’s design.

Those offers to mitigate the historic harm to the two-block area at Hewitt Avenue and Broadway were mentioned for the first time Wednesday night before a crowd of 215 people at a meeting of the Everett Historical Commission.

The public got the chance at Wednesday’s meeting to testify about whether Everett should lose historic buildings to the events center. The commission was expected to vote on whether to recommend if a waiver should be granted to tear down the Moffat Building and Stovies Stove Shop, both of which are on the Everett Historic Register.

The commission still hadn’t made its decision as of late Wednesday night. The commission can deny the waiver, grant the waiver or grant the waiver with conditions.

Public facility district representatives proposed giving the historical commission $125,000 to create something historic in place of the buildings that will be demolished. Also, the district would pursue a feasibility study to see if it’s possible to incorporate the northern part of the Moffat Building and the Ancient Scottish Rite Temple at Oakes Avenue and Wall Street into the design of the new events center.

The cost of preserving those two structures was estimated at $1.4 million.

No option to save part of the Stovies building was presented.

The design of the events center resembles a ship with masts sprouting from the roof. And some in the audience believed the regional center would be the key attraction to getting people downtown and revitalizing the area.

Resident Tom Hoban said the city needs a tool to stimulate private investment in Everett. "That tool is foot traffic," Hoban said.

Joel Starr, owner of the Flying Pig restaurant, agreed.

"We need feet on the streets of Everett," Starr said. "If not, revitalization will stop."

But most in the crowd were there to support saving the structures. Their common theme: Once gone, you can’t bring history back.

"It’s like a poor mother who would kill one child in hopes her other children will prosper," said Claire Howard.

Resident Robert Reedy was a little more blunt, calling the project a "turkey, and we should just forget about it."

"Or," Reedy suggested, "we can build it at the Cedar Street site, but put it on stilts. In fact, put it 40 feet in the air and put flags on the masts, and then we could be as patriotic as hell."

You can call Herald Writer Theresa Goffredo at 425-339-3097

or send e-mail to goffredo@heraldnet.com.

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