Ceremony scheduled for today

CURTIS JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL PRESERVATION

By John E. Chambers

SPECIAL TO THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

NORTH TOPEKA --- A preservation plan for the former Curtis Junior High School is nearing completion as Pioneer Group Inc. has a ribbon- cutting ceremony for the new apartment complex today at the renovated building.

Richard D. Kready, Pioneer's vice president of operations, said Sen. Sam Brownback has been invited to participate in the opening ceremony for the 35 one-bedroom apartments in the project, which combines affordable housing with historic preservation.

The restoration and conversion of the 75-year-old Curtis building accounts for $3.5 million construction costs on this building. The total cost of the entire project, which also includes 24 new town houses being built on the north side of the historic school building, is $6.1 million. Completion of the Curtis building is ahead of the scheduled February 2004 finishing date, with residents expected to move in next week.

The first eight of the townhouses are expected to be occupied by early January, and the entire project should be done by May, Kready said.

The Curtis building itself, which occupies the block bordered by Jackson, Grant, Central and St. John streets, is now a blend of historic and modern features. Pioneer had the building listed on the National Register of historic places, and so obligated itself to preserve the site's original character. The company has worked with the Kansas State Historical Society to incorporate and complement features designed by the original architect, Thomas Williamson, who also was the designer of Topeka High School.

The current architect is Mike Wilson, with Architect One of Topeka. The contractor is Tom Woltkamp, of Woltkamp Construction Co. Inc.

Asphalt parking lots have been installed and lane lines have been painted. Underground sprinklers have been buried in preparation for landscaping with trees, flowers and other plantings. The old cyclone fence, which had been repaired and retained during the construction, will be removed in a few weeks after people have started moving in, Kready said.

A new handicapped accessible entrance with canopy and tile roof as been added to the rear of the building, just off the parking lot. Inside, an elevator has been added to service all floors.

The project has salvaged as much of the original materials as it could, given the state of neglect and damage from vandals that the building had sustained over the years, Kready said.

Terrazzo on hallway floors has been resurfaced and retained in the former school building. All windows on the south side of the building were original windows that were restored, and some of them rebuilt with parts from other original windows. The rest of the windows in the building were manufactured to resemble the old windows. All of the window panes, however, are of modern insulated materials. Nearly invisible screens have been made to work with the historic windows, but still allow the windows to be opened.

Openings were cut in the former windowless brick rear wall of the building to install eight windows that were manufactured to resemble the building's original windows. This change allowed the old stage and auditorium area to serve as additional one-bedroom apartments for seniors.

Some roof tiles to replace clay missing tiles were manufactured especially to blend with the old ones. All tiles from the old roof were removed temporarily while the underlying wood and membrane were renovated. Then the tiles were put back in place.

The 35 one-bedroom apartments in the Curtis building are for seniors age 55 and over. They vary in size and features. Rents range from $365 to $400 a month, and occupants pay their own utilities. Each unit has its own heating and air-conditioning equipment. Each has a kitchen, living room, bedroom and bath. Six apartments that incorporate part of a hallway retain terrazzo floors in the kitchen and breakfast nook. Other apartment units have vinyl flooring in the kitchens and bathrooms. Otherwise, there is carpeting throughout all the apartments.

Pioneer is using Federal Housing Tax Credits to help with the financing of the project. In exchange for that tax advantage, in addition to similar historical tax advantages, Pioneer will rent these units to "moderate income" people.

A family of one can earn up to about $25,000 a year. A family of two can earn up to nearly $29,000 this year. Those income limitations change each year, and also, once a person qualifies, they can remain in the apartment, even if their income increases beyond the guidelines in future years.

Two apartments still have chalkboards in the entry or living room that once were part of classrooms. Some of the old wood lockers, a trophy case and a sun dial pedestal standing near the flagpole in front of the building have been retained. The pedestal contains the inscription from the first Curtis graduating class in 1928.

The company has filled in part of the lower floor basketball court and turned it into a carpeted meeting room. Part of the gym area now houses the manager's office for the complex. The upstairs auditorium with its balcony has been turned into a two-story atrium with skylights and some apartments. New light fixtures have been added.

The apartment complex has a central storage facility for residents, and a central laundry.

The town houses consist of three-bedroom family units in four- plexes and each unit contains 1,800 square feet of space. They all rent for $625 each, and residents pay for all services except trash pickup. A family of four can make a little more than $35,500 this year and still qualify for the townhouses.

After the fence around the project has been removed, steps will be installed from sidewalks around the town houses so people can descend to the brick sidewalk the runs around the property.

Kready finds humor in the knowledge that Curtis Junior High School, which cost $250,000 to build in 1927, is costing $3.5 million to restore, renovate and convert to apartments. However, he makes it plain that Pioneer has not cut corners in the process of preserving the building's original style. Cooperation with the historic preservation requirements has made the company eligible for tax advantages that help to keep rents affordable.

Already people have approached Pioneer about renting specific apartments. However, Pioneer hasn't been able to fully market the apartments until completion of the building, which the company expected by the ribbon cutting.

Please see CEREMONY, Page 7

Continued from Page 5

Ceremony: School cost $3.5 million to restore

JOHN E. CHAMBERS/SPECIAL TO THE CAPITAL-JOURNAL

The rear of the Curtis building has had eight windows installed in the former blank brick wall, and a canopy built over new handicapped accessible doors just off the asphalt parking lot.

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