By David F. Rooney
School District 19 officials are eagerly poring over the comments received from the 180 people who attended a weekend Open House where they viewed different options for the future of Mountain View Elementary’s original building.
Designed and built in 1914, Mountain View School is “the last remaining example of a large, masonry school constructed during the early years of Revelstoke’s development, and as an excellent example of institutional neoclassical architecture,” according to a statement of significance created for SD 19 by heritage consultants from the Arlington Group.
Since the school, which was originally called the Revelstoke High School, was built past school boards added on extensions like the gymnasium and the 1938 Manual Training and Home Economics Building, most recently used for Student Services and Aboriginal Education Services.
The Ab Ed building could be rehabilitated, but only at a cost of at least $1 million. will not be retained.
Rehabilitating the original Mountain View building will undoubtedly be expensive but the statement of significance added no estimate for that cost. All asbestos in the building was removed 11 years ago. Otherwise, its class rooms, offices, corridors and stairwells remain unchanged. What it would cost to renovate it will certainly depend on what a future owner wants to do with it.
The rest of the property — the playing field, playground, and those spaces now occupied by the gym and Ab Ed building — will be dedicated to new home construction and some green space.
Exactly how many homes depends on which option the SD 19 decides it prefers. And that will, in part, depend on what the public wants.
Please click here to view the options for MVE’s future.
Please click here to read the statement of significance for the original MVE building.
Here are two photos from the Open House:
