Commentary: Bold vision from an unlikely source

Let's dredge up some cliches, reflecting once-popular beliefs that subsequent experience has disproved.

White men can't jump. Women should stay home. Girls can't do math. Rock 'n' roll will destroy America's moral fiber. Reagan is too dumb to be President. The Patriots will destroy the Giants in the Super Bowl. No African-American will ever receive the presidential nomination of a major party.

To that not-very-prescient list, we might add the belief that government workers are inevitably cautious, rigid, work-to-rule, take-no-risks, pension-anticipating bureaucrats. Government, according to those who subscribe to this belief, can never be the source of creative, inspirational and delightful projects - leave that to the private sector.

That might be true of some governments - but not, it appears, of our own city.

Faced with the what most would have seen as an either/or dilemma, to preserve the historic and beautiful Fire Station No. 1 or tear it down to make room for a modern facility, the Fire Department's Dan Raider and Deputy City Manager Steve Cox came up with a novel solution.

Rather than tear down the building, they propose to move it 200 yards away, to the center of Pikes Peak Avenue, where it will most likely become a landmark restaurant. They anticipate that the project will be completely paid for by private development interests.

Result: the city has a vacant site to build a sorely needed new fire station, one of the city's great historic structures is given a new lease on life and downtown's fabric is greatly improved. The move will, in all likelihood, attract national attention and enhance our city's reputation. Businesses that might think of moving here will surely be impressed by such an example of thrifty, entrepreneurial problem-solving by local government.

We applaud the city employees who conceived this plan, as well as architect Jim Fennell, whose creative involvement has been equally significant. We know that there are still many obstacles to overcome before the grand, old building is successfully transported to its new site, but we agree with Henry Ford, who once said, "if you think that you can do something, or you can't, you're usually right."

And we believe that our bold and visionary - dare we call them - bureaucrats will see this one through.

As Dan Raider told us "Either we make it work, or we'll all be out of a job."

Don't worry, Dan - we'll bet that you all get promotions instead.

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