Neighborhood Input on Redevelopment of Norman School
The Valentine Neighborhood Association wants to work with developers who are interested in redeveloping the Norman School, a major landmark in our neighborhood. It’s located between Jefferson and Southwest Trafficway at 35th Street. When the school building went up for sale in 2009, the neighborhood developed a list of things it would like to see and things it would oppose. (Note: this list is a work in progress and we actively seek input from neighborhood residents).
What we DO want
- We are very interested in reuse of the building as a school, since the neighborhood has a lot of children who could benefit from a neighborhood school.
- We are also interested in reuse of the building that might provide affordable housing for elderly folks who have lived in this area and would like to stay in the neighborhood.
- We favor a design that retains green space that is accessible to tenants of the redevelopment as well as neighbors.
- We encourage the use of green practices in redevelopment.
- We favor development that complements our existing housing both in style and design, which includes basements, front porches, tucked away garages and green space connecting to the neighborhood.
- We are looking for a developer that is committed to this neighborhood and not placing the latest trend in marketable housing in Valentine.
- We want an additional entrance to the parking lot, preferably on the west end of 36th.
- We want the exterior restoration to be historically accurate. Any landscaping and/or additions should be sympathetic to the historic character of the existing structure.
What we DO NOT want
- We do not want to see the building sit vacant any longer. We will not support a project that does not have a plan with the funding in place.
- We do not want a design that faces inward rather than toward the street. Our neighborhood values porches that face the street and we are opposed to units with garages on the front of the house.
- We will probably not favor any design that blocks the view of the historic Norman School from the street.
- We will not favor a project that involves gutting the historic building.
- We will not support low-income housing projects.
- Don’t want all of the large mature trees to be cut down.
- Don’t want excessive amounts of curb cuts.
- We don’t want development that is out of scale with the surrounding residential structures.