re: new public school board headquarters
It’s taken 15 years, but the county has won. The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board is abandoning downtown for a highway office park-inspired building at Crestwood.
Fifteen years ago, I was the student representative on transition committees when the county and city boards merged.
It was a great learning experience for a 15-year-old student. As the only non-county, non-city person on committees, I was often caught between the two polarized factions.
One of the most contentious issues at the time – meeting locations.
Committee members from the county wanted meetings at Crestwood with its easy access to the Lincoln Alexander Parkway.
City members the downtown board of education building.
As a compromise, meetings would rotate between the two sites.
The debate about the site for the new school board headquarters was a short-lived, but nonetheless contentious. With a large suitable building already at 100 Main Street West, it was obvious the board would be downtown.
It didn’t prevent discussion of creating a new headquarters more accessible to the suburban transit method of choice – the car.
Today, that school of thought prevails with the Crestwood site.
The county faction was terrified they’d be gobbled up by the city board. The city had no such fears. Ironic, isn’t it.
Joey Coleman
Hamilton