Group To Protest Demolition Of Historic County Jail In Martinez

Martinez CA

01 October, 2021

11:55 PM

Description

MARTINEZ, CA — The Architectural Preservation Foundation of Contra Costa County is holding a rally Sunday in Martinez to boost support for saving the old jail building downtown that the county has slated for demolition. The rally will take place at 1 p.m. on the steps of the county finance building at 625 Court St. The county Board of Supervisors voted Sept. 7 to tear down the building as part of a $58-million-dollar contract it awarded Webcor Construction. The contract includes demolishing the old 12-story county administration building next to the jail and building a new three-story complex for county offices. Preservationists are protesting the demolition of the old jail, which was built in 1903. County officials say its design precludes it from other uses and its hazardous materials, like asbestos, make renovation problematic, as does the cost. Some of the materials from the jail would be preserved in a historical display at the new site. According to a news release, the architectural foundation wants the jail to be given over to others and "saved for a historic and justice-themed restaurant with historic pictures and artifacts displayed throughout and a video experience for visitors to learn of cultural injustices, like the Port Chicago explosion and trials." They also want nearby open space, with a town clock, black iron seating, historic lamp poles, and brick pathways. The architectural foundation believes its plan incorporates a business use for weekends and after 5 p.m. when county employees have gone home. "That will provide for the added security of the problems of graffiti, skateboarders, and vagrancy. It makes the plaza theme smaller which further allows less opportunity for segregation of county employees by providing a 'campus' that keeps employees and clients from doing their business downtown," according to a news release from the architectural preservation foundation. It also "builds back better" at a time when the city's downtown is struggling because of COVID-19 but is also providing more services as it grows back. "We rely heavily on County employees as Martinez has been the County seat for 170 years," the foundation said. No money is sought from the county for the park area, which the group says is most likely less expensive than the plaza the county plans to build. "The historic-looking park will match better with the Martinez Historic Museum that is now next door to an extremely modern new Administration building, in a shocking manner," the foundation said. "There needs to be recognition of this fact by Planning departments and mitigations, although the County has stopped any significant studies or public input as they proceed to bringing the bulldozers." Saving the jail from demolition would also extend the Main Street historic and business district by one block which would benefit the economy and the downtown area, the group said. Further, keeping the jail intact "protects at least one of our historic buildings from demolition and continues to provide for the historic platform we have spent many years developing, with car shows, art events, antique markets, music and entertainment, and farmers markets, in order to BUILD the downtown business economy!" County officials have previously said preservationists haven't shown a viable plan, or the funding, to save the jail. Abatement and demolition of the old administration building is scheduled to begin in November, and be finished by September 2022. The frame of the new building would be complete by December 2022, with completion of the exterior being done by May 2023. The project would be completely finished by April 2024. RELATED COVERAGE: Supervisors Approve Demolition Of Old County Administration BuildingContra Costa To Move Forward With Demolition Of Old Jail Building Bay City News Service contributed to this report.