Who needs Santa Claus when there’s the State Historical Fund? That seems to be the troubling attitude in state government.
Colorado voters approved the Historical Fund in 1992 to help renovate and preserve structures of historic value in our communities. It’s funded by 22.4 percent of fees paid to the state by casinos in Black Hawk, Central City and Cripple Creek.
In 2006, $20.8 million went into the fund, and $16 million was allocated in grants. Since 1993, more than 3,000 grants totaling $176 million have been made, benefiting communities large and small in all 64 counties.
Grants generally range from $250 to less than $200,000, but the improvements in the towns add up to lots more, as these projects bring jobs, and inspire other building owners to spruce up their properties. Heritage tourism is enhanced too.
“Our best projects are schools, courthouses, the public buildings that are a community’s landmarks,” reflected Mark Wolfe, State Historical Fund director. “They’re owned by the people, used by the people – all sorts of people – and people are very proud of them.”
Problem is, when there are millions of dollars, everyone wants the money. The Colorado Historical Society was designated to administer it, but seems increasingly to consider the fund its dollars. That public stance probably led to the legislature eliminating operating dollars for the Society a couple years ago, even though voters believed the fund would be independent and focus on statewide historic property improvements. Voters didn’t approve it as supplementary funding for the Historical Society.
The society needs $350,000 to get its locomotive at Georgetown running. The legislature said to take it from the SHF. Over half a million was taken to pay for life and health insurance, security and utilities, as the society’s share of higher education costs.
The legislature had neglected the state Capitol for decades, ignoring desperately needed repairs and life-saving upgrades and saw the fund as a life-saver – $24 million so far, another $6 million this year.
Perhaps more shocking is the Owens administration’s announcement that the Governor’s Mansion needs $5 million in repairs before Gov.-elect Bill Ritter’s family moves in. Electrical wiring, plumbing, windows, air conditioning, paint, foundation and mold problems were all cited.
You know the legislature’s going to look at the State Historical Fund for dollars. But the fund has already given $709,591 to various projects at the mansion over the last 11 years.
The Colorado Supreme Court has announced it wants the entire block on Broadway at 14th Avenue which it now shares with the Colorado History Museum and Society. If the museum has to find a new home, will the legislature pay for it? Doubtful.
And it is a betrayal of the voters’ trust to raid the State Historical Fund for a new building. Besides, the History Museum is an important part of Denver’s cultural center at Civic Center, and should stay where it is, easily accessible to the public.
The Supreme Court doesn’t have such universal appeal and could move more easily, perhaps to the office building the state plans for the corner of Colfax and Lincoln. A pity the short-sighted state government built a parking garage at 14th and Lincoln, a waste of choice property. The state has no master plan for its downtown properties, so there is no thoughtful overview of what should go where.
Hopefully a new administration brings a new outlook.
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The Great Appreciator. The Eternal Mentor. Those were my thoughts of architect Cab Childress, who died Nov. 18. A memorial service is 10 a.m., Dec. 30, at St. John’s Episcopal Cathedral in Denver.
Cab built for the ages, and cities across Colorado are the better for his work: Eagle County Courthouse, the University of Denver’s handsome buildings, and many more.
His buildings always incorporated wonderful artists and craftspeople.
“To design a building without using artists and craftspeople would be absolutely impossible – it would not be a building, but merely a design,” he declared. “The secret to my success is other people’s talents.”
Cab Childress left Colorado an indelible legacy of superb buildings – enduring testimony to a life-long search for design beyond perfection.
Joanne Ditmer’s column on environmental and urban issues for The Post began in 1962 and now appears once a month.
