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Architect and longtime resident Charles McAfee urges board to consult community before altering historic Lowbridge area
Summary
Charles McAfee told the Wichita board he designed many early buildings in the Lowbridge neighborhood and asked the district not to take action regarding the local school without consulting community stakeholders; he detailed nearby landmarks and historic investments.
Charles McAfee identified himself as a long-time resident and told the board he designed many early buildings in the Lowbridge neighborhood and asked the district to consult local stakeholders before making decisions about the neighborhood's schools and facilities.
McAfee listed nearby landmarks and historical investments in the area, including a baseball park named for Robert Thurman, a 7- to 8-foot marble structure called the "Double V" monument, Charles Doty's Tennis Center, McAfee Pool (which he said received funding from the Ford Foundation and Getty Foundation), Carl Brewer's $10 million addition to a facility, and McAdams Park.
"What we want you to do is not do anything with Loyola Beach School without talking to a group of us," McAfee said, urging board members to contact him and neighborhood members before taking action. He described a sustained local investment by national foundations and community leaders in the area'and asked the board to involve long-standing neighborhood voices in planning.
Why it matters: McAfee framed potential changes to schools and facilities in his neighborhood as decisions that would affect historic assets and community investments, and asked the board to coordinate with neighborhood stakeholders prior to taking action.
