COMPLETE TEXT OF INITIATIVE MEASURE NUMBER 99

AN ORDINANCE to offer City assistance in preventing the destruction of Garfield High School's historic Quincy Jones auditorium

WHEREAS, Garfield High School is an official City Landmark;

WHEREAS, the Seattle School District's Facilities Master Plan states that "District consideration of public interest will not be limited to the minimum regulatory requirements of the City Landmark criteria when considering the value of the preservation of historically significant building elements. Where value is identified by the community, the District will strive to preserve, or enhance that which retains the character of the school and consider adaptive reuse to meet educational needs.";

WHEREAS, the Seattle School District's current construction plans would tear out virtually all of the interiors of Garfield;

WHEREAS, the Seattle School District's current construction plans would replace the auditorium with a cafeteria in the summer of 2006;

WHEREAS, something from the inside of Garfield, something familiar and of significance, needs to be kept for the alumni and for the community;

WHEREAS, the Garfield High School Quincy Jones auditorium has always been a part of Garfield, since the school was built in 1923;

WHEREAS, the Garfield auditorium is the place where Martin Luther King Jr. spoke, and it is the place where author Alex Haley (of "Roots" fame) spoke, and it bears the name of 1950 Garfield graduate Quincy Jones;

WHEREAS, the Garfield auditorium is a place that has been familiar to thousands of Garfield students and to the community over many decades;

Now, Therefore, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:

The City of Seattle believes that the Garfield High School Quincy Jones auditorium should not be torn down; the stage and general layout of the auditorium should be kept.

The City Council will send a letter communicating this sentiment to the Seattle School District Superintendent and School Board, requesting that the Seattle School District not proceed with plans to demolish the Garfield auditorium, and offering City assistance to the Seattle School District toward this end, including any City resources that the City Council deems appropriate.