Central High School could use Burnham to teach students real-life skills including carpentry, restoration, woodworking, plumbing, planning, design, financing, operations, maintenance, etc.); Very useful, needed skills for our students, many of whom will have homes of their own someday and the confidence to deal with these issues and pride in their work and community. These skills cannot be outsourced and will be theirs forever.
The National Park Service has an entire program on how to teach preservation trades at the high school level. Champaign could be a model. A preservation program using this resource could be the catalyst for education of youth in the region.
http://ptn.org/sites/default/files/docs/mhpn_ncppt_report.pdf
Other alternatives for repurposing the Burnham for Central HS include use as administrative offices, a library, a student union, a tutoring and counseling center, history department, art department, music, or Americore teacher housing.
If the School Board has no interest in preserving and repurposing the Burnham, sell it to an individual/ group or non-profit to preserve. NO taxpayer funds would be used to preserve it. The School Board could use proceeds from the sale to offset purchase of additional parking while the Burnham and its very historic neighborhood could be preserved.
Repurposing ideas include:
For the recent preservation and repurposing of Champaign's Orpheum Theater, $60,000 was provided by an Illinois First grant from the State of Illinois, a $250,000 grant from by the National Park Service, and private donations. Thousands of children and adults visit the Orpheum Children's museum every year.
Dec 22, 2017
The Champaign Youth Assessment Center, the county's juvenile diversion program, aims to re-direct kids away from the criminal justice system and toward programs that help them. The Youth Assessment Center has occupied a Unit 4-owned building on Randolph Street for the past three years. Unit 4 now needs this office space and has told the YAC to find a new home.
Why not situate the Youth Assessment Center at the Burnham House and teach at-risk kids valuable hands-on skills in carpentry, woodworking, plumbing, history, design, planning, finance, operationalization, while simultaneously obtaining pride in their work and community? Alternatively, the Burnham could be used for office space for Unit 4.
The National Park Service has an entire program on how to teach preservation trades at the high school level. Champaign could be a model. A preservation program using this resource could be the catalyst for education of youth in the region.
http://ptn.org/sites/default/files/docs/mhpn_ncppt_report.pdf
Other alternatives for repurposing the Burnham for Central HS include use as administrative offices, a library, a student union, a tutoring and counseling center, history department, art department, music, or Americore teacher housing.
If the School Board has no interest in preserving and repurposing the Burnham, sell it to an individual/ group or non-profit to preserve. NO taxpayer funds would be used to preserve it. The School Board could use proceeds from the sale to offset purchase of additional parking while the Burnham and its very historic neighborhood could be preserved.
Repurposing ideas include:
- Office Suites
- Art Gallery, Art Studios
- Fine Restaurant and Cafe
- Single Family Home
- Apartments
- Condos
- Senior Living
- Historic Home Tours
- Wedding/Events Venue
- Permanent home for OLLI (Osher Lifelong Learning Institute)
- Bed and Breakfast
- Community Center
For the recent preservation and repurposing of Champaign's Orpheum Theater, $60,000 was provided by an Illinois First grant from the State of Illinois, a $250,000 grant from by the National Park Service, and private donations. Thousands of children and adults visit the Orpheum Children's museum every year.
Dec 22, 2017
The Champaign Youth Assessment Center, the county's juvenile diversion program, aims to re-direct kids away from the criminal justice system and toward programs that help them. The Youth Assessment Center has occupied a Unit 4-owned building on Randolph Street for the past three years. Unit 4 now needs this office space and has told the YAC to find a new home.
Why not situate the Youth Assessment Center at the Burnham House and teach at-risk kids valuable hands-on skills in carpentry, woodworking, plumbing, history, design, planning, finance, operationalization, while simultaneously obtaining pride in their work and community? Alternatively, the Burnham could be used for office space for Unit 4.