Historic Miami University building to be demolished

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OXFORD – Miami University plans to demolish a historic building on its campus, and some in the community are questioning the way university officials approached the issue.

Patterson Place, built in 1898, stands a short walk from two stone pillars that used to mark the entrance to Western College, an all-female institution famous for its role in a pivotal civil rights movement known as Freedom Summer.

Some of the bricks are falling apart, water is leaking into the roof and the paint needs redone. Those are just some of the problems with what is now home to the Western College Alumnae Association, a few staff members and a host of artifacts from the college Miami University bought in 1974.

Later this year, if Miami University trustees follow the plan laid out by University President David Hodge and other officials, Patterson Place will be reduced to rubble.

In its place will stand a brand new residence hall, part of the university's plan to deal with what they predict will become a shortage in on-campus housing.

The plan is not sitting well with some alumnae, students and other faculty.

Jerome Stanley, a retired music professor at Miami University, called the idea a "breach of trust."

"For a lot of people it's an icon. People look at (Patterson Place) as having been in our presence for so long it's like an old friend," Stanley said.

"We all probably trusted that (building) was under protection. There is a plaque in front of Paterson Place that says the whole area is designated as a historic district."

He's right. Patterson Place is listed as part of a historic district recognized by the National Register of Historic Places.

But that doesn't mean anything when it comes to Miami University's plan, as the property owners, to tear it down, according to Amanda Terrell, director of the State Historic Preservation Office in Ohio.

"The National Register never has been or was designed to place restrictions on property owners," Terrell said. "It's purpose is to identify historic properties and educate the public about them."

Patterson Place also is part of a historic district identified by the city of Oxford, and that's where restrictions could come into play, she said.

Sam Perry, Oxford city planner, said any plans to significantly alter a historic district need to come before Oxford's Historic and Architectural Preservation Commission.

The commission would study the plans and issue a "Certificate of Appropriateness" approving the construction, he said.

Perry said he has had no contact with school officials about the plan, nothing has been submitted to the city and he doesn't expect anything will be submitted in the future.

"We haven't been involved in the discussions. We're just looking at it from our side of the fence," he said.

Never involving Oxford's planning commission is illegal, according to Oxford city ordinances adopted in 2001 and officials with Heritage Ohio, a nonprofit organization that focuses on preservation of history in the state.

"If any environmental modification in violation of this ordinance is made or is imminent, the City may institute appropriate proceedings to prevent such unlawful environmental modification," according to the city's ordinance.

Oxford City Manager Doug Elliott said a section of the Ohio Revised Code would allow Miami University trustees to overrule any decision made by the city's planning commission.

This came up before, and legal counsel for Miami University sent a letter to city officials saying they weren't bound by city laws.

"They maintain that position," Elliott said. "This is not something I would recommend to (city) council to go to court over. Personally, I would not think that would make any sense at all. Once again, this is our largest employer and we generally have a very good relationship with them. But it would be nice to get some sort of courtesy review."

Frank Quinn, director of Heritage Ohio, said state institutions should still have to abide by local laws.

"It's interesting because there is no case in Ohio case law that definitively provides an answer one way or the other," he said.

Miami University President David Hodge called it a complicated situation because "we're stuffed to the gills with residence housing right now."

"By 2017, we're going to be 500 to 600 beds short," he said. "The quintessential Miami experience is to be on the campus for the first two years, which we require of all students. So we have a really significant need that we need to address."

First-year Miami University student John Doria said he was against demolishing the building.

"It's way too original. There is plenty of housing (on campus)," he said. "I think this is too historical, something you'd want to have down the road."

Doria, whose major is currently undecided, said part of the reason he chose Miami University was because of its "beautiful" campus. He did not think Patterson Place detracted from that.

Hannah Mark, a first-year strategic communications student, also opposed the plan.

"The historical appeal is part of Miami's draw," she said. "I don't think they should tear it down."

Hodge said Patterson Place represents the only viable option for new student housing.

"When I first heard this I was, to be honest, I was a bit stunned. It just never occurred to me that would be the path we would take. It was only after we went through all the options I became convinced this was the right way to go," Hodge said.

"What we did then was to approach the leadership of the Western Alumnae Association, who had to go through their own sort of five stages of grieving because this is a very traumatic thing."

University trustees are expected to vote Friday on a resolution authorizing school officials to spend $3.5 million for preconstruction plans to build a residence hall where Patterson Place is. Another vote for the actual construction is expected to be made at a board meeting in June.

Hodge said Western College alumnae and others were not consulted because "our attitude was why drag someone into this if you didn't even know for sure it was going to happen."

"We have respected the traditions of the Western College very much," Hodge said. "The new residence halls were not constructed in Miami brick, they were constructed in Western stone, for example."

The project to build new student housing is estimated to cost $27,000,000, according to the resolution trustees will consider Friday.

Patterson Place would cost more than $1 million to bring up to modern standards, Hodge said.

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