Northeast News
March 19, 2014

This newshound would like to thank local architect Bruce Best for his spot on analysis of the former Thacher Elementary School and its “phenomenally well built” bones. If one were to believe the school district, and trust me, one shouldn’t, the stately edifice was in danger of tumbling to the ground in a good windstorm.

Then again, this school district’s facilities management program is a joke. Most of the vacant schools are problematic eyesores the district would just as soon see turn to rubble in a landfill as they would an adaptive re-use plan that benefits the surrounding community. The district’s record of being a good neighbor is downright abysmal. The strategy, of course, is to let the building decay to the point that demolition is the only option. One look at the number of Kansas City Public Schools’ buildings that have been successfully re-purposed versus the number of buildings currently on the demolition list is all that is needed as proof positive of that theory.

As for Thacher Elementary, given the district is hell bent on its demolition, maybe the district should demolish only the 1914 addition to the school and leave the original part of the school standing. Any remaining budgeted demolition money can be used to either secure the structure or rebuild the north wall where the addition was standing. Another option would be to deed the building to Local Initiative Support Corporation [LISC] or a viable receiver with the necessary resources to temporarily secure the building for an adaptive re-use plan that would benefit the community.

Kansas City has lost far too many historic structures to the wrecking ball. It would be a shame if Thacher’s fate was bound for the landfill as well. Given the record however, this pooch isn’t holding its breath.