No McRetreat, No McSurrender

MICHAEL DAVIS PHOTO 

House arrest: The renovation of the former Kingsley-True house into a Ronald McDonald House is on hold pending a controversial historic designation.  

Just what shape a compromise might take was still unclear. Earlier discussion of moving the house to a nearby lot proved too costly to consider. Still, many consider even the willingness to talk compromise progress. Both sides have apparently come to the conclusion that the interior of the structure is not at issue. The preservationists would like to see the shell of the building preserved and incorporated into a new Ronald McDonald House without breaking the bank of the not-for-profit agency.

Trunfio indicated that she still preferred demolishing the house at 1100 E. Genesee St. in order to build a new facility to house the families of hospitalized children. “At the end of the day,” said Trunfio in a telephone interview with The New Times, “what’s most important is that we are able to build a home that serves the needs of the families we care for, that it is within walking distance of the hospitals, and within a reasonable budget.”

She clearly is not enthusiastic about working with the existing building. “Our architects looked at utilizing that building within our plan to accommodate a new Ronald McDonald House. It would add between $1.5 million and $2 million to the project.” Ronald McDonald has raised $5.5 million to date for the new construction.

Ronald McDonald House bought the former Kingsley-True house in 2007 with the intention of building a new 40,000 square foot house on the property. But when they applied for a demolition permit, the Landmark Preservation Board initiated a review process which resulted in a recommendation that the building be designated a historic site under the city’s Landmark Preservation Act.

The City Planning Commission later concurred, and it was passed on to the Common Council for final review. Ronald McDonald House has successfully argued that the designation will require a supermajority, or seven of the nine voting members of the Council.

A group of preservationists, including Armory Square developer Bob Doucette and Crawford, have put forward several public offers to work for free with the Ronald McDonald House. In a move unique in recent memory, they published drawings of a proposal which they claimed would meet the needs of the charity, which expects demand for its services to grow with the opening of the Golisano Children’s Hospital next year.

The group offered to come up with a plan to preserve the exterior of the building while accommodating the agency’s need for more space, easy and ample parking, and greater accessibility. They unveiled a set of architectural drawings depicting how the house at the intersection of East Genesee Street and University Avenue might be expanded in the back, which, they argued, would complement other historic buildings in the neighborhood.

Ronald McDonald House officials, in an e-mail to supporters, branded this effort as “reckless” and urged their supporters to attend Common Council meetings to oppose the designation. Many of those arguing on behalf of the plan were former guests at the home.

In a series of public meetings, advocates for the demolition plan, including many in the medical community, have contended that the Kingsley house is not suitable to their needs and cannot be adapted. For decades the building was the home to the Wanamaker medical practice, and the Wanamakers have maintained that little remains of the features that made it architecturally interesting.

Doucette has been part of the effort to stop the demolition. “I’m not a tea-and-crumpets preservationist. I believe that buildings are to be used. But I’m sick and tired of people tearing up my city to put in drugstores,” he said, echoing past resentments of many preservationists regarding the demolition of the Jermaine Loguen House to make way for a Rite Aid drugstore just a few blocks up East Genesee from the proposed Ronald McDonald expansion.

For Dennis Connors, curator of history at the Onondaga Historical Association, there is more at stake than just the Ronald McDonald issue. “If we get too many decisions here where the city doesn’t grant designations after the Planning Board and the Preservation Commission say yes, then they weaken the ordinance.” Connors added that a Common Council designation does not mean the house cannot be altered or demolished, but that it has to go through a process which “puts the burden on the owner.” In practice, many owners of historic properties have said they find that burden in both time and money to be onerous, even when making minor changes.

“I think everyone wants to compromise,” said Councilor-at-Large Stephanie Miner, a supporter of the historic designation. When asked if that included supporters of the demolition proposal, she quickly backtracked: “Oh, not Ronald McDonald. They want to tear the house down. What we want is to see Ronald McDonald House fulfill its mission in a building that would maintain the historical integrity of the building.”

For now, opponents of the demolition want the Common Council to grant the protected status. “Why should they {Ronald McDonald} compromise?” asked Doucette. “Until the politicians let them know that they can’t tear the house down, they have no reason to seek a different kind of solution.”

If there is a Common Council vote, the swing vote appears to be Councilor-at-Large Van Robinson. Robinson, reached in Albany last Friday, did not want to say how he might vote. Retooling the plans could add significantly to the cost of a new Ronald McDonald House, leading to speculation that city or state funds might be offered in hopes of sweetening the pot. The hoped-for compromise could turn a tug-of-war into a larger question of spending priorities. How much city money should be spent to save an old house and subsidize a well-heeled charity? Stay tuned.

—Ed Griffin-Nolan