Events center can help in saving a downtown

If Henry Hewitt and Charles Colby were alive today, they just might get a kick out of the controversy surrounding the proposed Everett Events Center at the Hewitt and Broadway site.

Some, of course, would argue the two city fathers are rolling in their graves right now at the very thought of some historic buildings being demolished to make way for a much more modern public building that resembles a ship. Perhaps. But chances are better that they’re picking up on the irony of it all.

Hewitt Avenue has always been the center of controversy for the downtown corridor. A recent Historical Commission meeting to help decide what non-binding recommendation to give the city council was proof of that. Some opponents of the demolition who attended the meeting could barely keep quiet during city staff and architectural presentations. In fact, a few people were outright rude and embarrassing to themselves and their cause. (Another hearing on Nov. 28 promises to be even nastier.)

A presentation by local historian and treasure, David Dilgard, on the history of Hewitt Avenue captivated them, though.

Dilgard, also an avid opponent of the demolition, showed the colorful history of the avenue that connected the Riverside and Bayside areas. He also told the stories of Hewitt and Colby who came to Everett because they decided it was a logical spot for a major economic hub.

Hewitt and Colby came here to help develop the area and make money. They believed in Everett’s potential as a thriving city. They saw opportunity to create economic vitality and they took it. Ironically, today, they would fit into the big bad developer category.

Opponents of the Hewitt and Broadway site want to spare the buildings at all costs. It’s understandable, even admirable. But preservation would be at too high a cost. This site offers the most promise for revitalizing a downtown that just a few years ago resembled more of a ghost town than the county seat that it is. And the current buildings in question are not necessarily economically robust. It’s no secret that Hewitt Avenue doesn’t attract a stellar crowd at night. Let’s be frank. It doesn’t attract much in the way of crowds anytime. And you can see that reflected in the sad collection of empty storefronts and pawn shops liberally scattered on the nearby blocks.

Some, including commission members, are asking for an arena at a separate site along with simultaneous downtown renovation efforts. But the other sites came with a host of problems, including major water lines and gas lines to contend with. They didn’t offer the likelihood of bigger businesses setting up shop downtown, either. And it’s going to take that kind of economic domino effect to rejuvenate the city’s core. The city has been trying to rebuild the core for more than 20 years now. It’s not cheap.

Opponents argue we can’t tear down these buildings because they are our history. What about our future? In an effort to preserve a small part of the larger legacy city founders left, we are overlooking the spirit of their work. Fifty years from now, today will be our history. Will we look back and kick ourselves for not taking advantage of a smart opportunity to provide enough economic vitality to encourage widespread historic preservation?

People who support the events center at the Hewitt site are not enemies of Everett’s historical buildings. That nasty suggestion is about as fair as saying that history buffs want to see downtown Everett die. The demonizing that has been going on at public meetings must stop.

News that the city was examining an events center was documented in February 2000. In the fall of that same year, public facilities district officials expressed genuine interest in the Hewitt site. Complaints that the public didn’t hear about the project until recently are untrue. Opponents must take more responsibility for not paying attention.

Everett is not a mill town anymore. We must grow and adapt with the times. And we can do that while appreciating our history instead of being held back by it.

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