成人X站

When the old Parkland School in Pierce County was threatened with demolition last year, community members swung into action and managed to convince the owner to sell it to them instead. While they still have a lot of money to raise to officially make the purchase, the group is celebrating Parkland School鈥檚 115th birthday this weekend and looking ahead to the future of the community landmark.

Last year, it was revealed that Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), a private college in Parkland east of Tacoma, was getting ready to demolish the old 1908 Parkland School. PLU had owned the school and grounds for several decades, and they wanted to sell the property to a developer who had plans to build an apartment complex at the site.

That鈥檚 when a group of Parkland residents got involved. They love the old school. Many residents, parents, and grandparents attended or taught at Parkland School. They organized. They showed up at big public meetings and ultimately got the Pierce County Landmarks and Historic Preservation Commission to deny PLU鈥檚 request for a demolition permit.

Why do Parkland people care so much about this old building, which hasn鈥檛 served as a school for decades?

Phil Edlund is with the .

Edlund鈥檚 answer to that question is like that old real estate clich茅: 鈥淟ocation, location, location!鈥� 鈥� but with one more priceless element: 鈥淐ommunity, community, community!鈥�

鈥淚t sits right in the heart of the community, right near the Main Street area of the business district, and is the identifying landmark when people get off of Highway 512 on Pacific Avenue [which is also known as] State Route 7,鈥� Edlund told 成人X站 Newsradio. 鈥淲hen they see the building, they鈥檝e always expressed a sense of, 鈥業 know I’ve arrived in Parkland when I see Parkland School.鈥�

Listening to Edlund, it sounds as if Parkland School is that community鈥檚 Space Needle 鈥� a highly visible iconic structure that says, without spelling it out on a sign, 鈥淲elcome to Parkland.鈥�

To the Parkland group鈥檚 credit and to PLU鈥檚 as well, the parties involved moved past the demolition battle and reached a truce. Then, PLU agreed to split off the school building from the larger parcel of land. They鈥檒l still sell most of the real estate to a developer for apartments, but they鈥檒l sell the school to the Parkland Community Association for about $3 million.

But that鈥檚 only part of the good news. The Parkland School advocates have kept busy for the past year, generating more support and getting professional help with the historic preservation and building renovation aspect of the project.

鈥淲e’ve been awarded planning and assessment grants from the Washington Trust for Historic Preservation and also from the National Trust for Historic Preservation,鈥� Edlund said. 鈥淲e received an initial assessment of the building from a regional historic preservation developer . . . . and also a professional assessment and feasibility report . . . and we’re currently under contract with Northwest Vernacular to complete a comprehensive historic preservation and planning report.鈥�

鈥淲e’ve also engaged our local lawmakers, both at the county level . . . and the state level . . . to build support for this in the state capital budget,鈥� Edlund continued.

Edlund said this effort isn鈥檛 just about nostalgia for a beloved old building; the ultimate goal is to create something Parkland desperately needs: a place for the community to gather.

鈥淲hether it’s children in after-school activities, whether it’s sports or homework tutoring, or for adults or for arts activities on the stage,鈥� Edlund said, 鈥淭his is intended to be a place that serves people who live and work in and around Parkland.鈥�

The community event will take place Saturday, May 20, from noon to 3:00 p.m. at Keithley Middle School in Parkland.

Edlund said there are two things on the agenda.

One is to celebrate Parkland School鈥檚 115th birthday with food, games, and other activities for all ages. The other is to kick off the community phase of the fundraising campaign and get people鈥檚 ideas about what they want to see happen with the old school in its future role as a community center for Parkland.

On that critical fundraising part, the group has a little more than five months to raise $2.85 million. The deadline for the purchase and sale agreement with PLU is November 3. The Parkland Community Association will likely get some public dollars from the State of Washington, but the campaign will also rely on the generosity of individuals and private foundations.

For more information about the event or to contribute to the campaign, click .

You can hear Feliks every Wednesday and Friday morning on Seattle鈥檚 Morning News with Dave Ross and Colleen O鈥橞rien, read more from him鈥�here, and subscribe to The Resident Historian Podcast聽here. If you have a story idea, please email Feliks鈥�here.