Steven Turner leaves Historic Denver behind

A A A Comments (4) By Michael Paglia Thursday, Sep 18 2008

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Last week, the Colorado Historical Society announced that Steven Turner will become the director of the State Historical Fund. That means that Turner is resigning as the director of Historic Denver. The promotion is good news for those of us who appreciate the old buildings of Denver. Not because Turner will be doling out millions for historic preservation, but rather because Historic Denver will be rid of someone who was an incredibly ineffective leader.

During his two years at HD's helm, Turner did a number of contemptible things, and he'll definitely be a better fit as a bureaucrat than as an advocate for historic preservation.

One example concerns the proposed redevelopment of the University of Colorado's Health Sciences Center at Colorado Boulevard at Ninth Avenue, which is being vacated as the school decamps for Fitzsimons. Turner signed off on plans that call for the demolition of the Victor Hornbein psychiatric complex on Eighth Avenue, a masterful pair of red-brick Usonian-style buildings. Hornbein, best known for the Denver Botanic Gardens, specialized in residences, and his buildings on the medical-center campus are rare examples of his talent applied to major structures. Maybe Turner's successor at Historic Denver will take developer Shea Properties back to the drawing board on this one.

Another example is the way Turner rolled over on plans to plop a Colorado History Museum in the middle of the Civic Center, making no objection to this stupid idea, which would have destroyed the integrity of this jewel. With the museum now set to build elsewhere, it seems like Turner degraded Historic Denver for no reason at all.

I'll close with a personal story: Last year, I worked on one of HD's guide books, and, in a conversation with Turner, he informed me that the publications were not about preservation. Gee, I wonder what he thought they were supposed to be about. By the way, I was brought on to that project by Kathleen Brooker, Turner's predecessor. I doubt Turner would have wanted someone like me involved, since I think historic architecture should be cherished.

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John B Woodward III 10/26/2008 8:19:00 PM

In the good old days of historic preservation, preservation was done by committed preservationists. Idealists often for sure, but their developer adversaries would always provide any needed �balance� in the equation. Back then you didn�t have to �follow the money�, the preservationists never had any, the developers had it all, but everyone knew that�s how it worked. There would be victories (rare for preservationists) and losses on each side, but there always was a tiny thread of balance: civic mindedness and a strong feeling of right and wrong on one side, and all the money on the other. Looks like that era is over. Michael, thank-you for pointing this all out, but one statement needs a bit of an update: the henhouses are all but gone now, they�ve been scraped�
patricia calhoun 09/24/2008 6:10:00 PM

Here's Michael Paglia's response to Teryl R. Gorrell's post: I stand by everything in my September 24 Artbeat concerning Steven Turner�s departure from Historic Denver. Turner was a completely ineffectual leader of HD, as thoroughly revealed by Teryl R. Gorrell�s letter in which he credits Turner with enhancing the preservation of buildings like the Mayan Theater, the Brown Palace and the �Sleeper� house (Charles Deaton�s Sculptured House), none of which are even remotely endangered. At the same time, Gorrell admits that Turner failed to protect Victor Hornbein�s psychiatric complex on Eighth Avenue at the old University of Colorado Medical School campus. Those sophisticated buildings are threatened by redevelopment plans being drawn up by Shea Properties, but nonetheless they are still standing and in full use so it�s still not too late to try and preserve them. But it�s obviously much worse than I thought at HD, and there will be no advocacy concerning saving the Hornbeins or any of the rest of the city�s historic architecture with a guy like Gorrell sitting in the chairman�s seat of the board of trustees. Gorrell is a real estate attorney who, according to his firm�s web site, www.gorrellgiles.com, �represents developers and capital providers in the structuring, development and operation of a wide variety of projects in the United States and Mexico." Having Gorrell at the head of HD�s board is putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. How very Bush-era. I don�t know if Gorrell has ever had Shea Properties as a client, but I can guess that he�d like to. So what would be in it for Gorrell to push Shea to do the right thing? HD�s only hope of returning to its mission�to be an advocate for historic preservation�is if Gorrell and the many other developer shills on the board follow Turner out the door. Let�s keep our fingers crossed on this one.
Lisa Purdy 09/23/2008 11:41:00 PM

I think your column about Steve Turner was unnecessarily caustic and off base. I have found Steve to very effective, intelligent, and knowledgeable as a leader of Historic Denver. He was handed more than the usual amount of administrative problems when he began, and has done yeoman's work to turn things around. Just because you disagree with some of the policy decisions (which, by the way, are the decisions of an entire board - not just Steve), is no reason to attack his professionalism. Reasonable preservationists can honorably disagree on individual decisions. I have spent a lifetime in historic preservation and know working in the field involves complicated calculations. Without knowing the context and background, and without knowing who has the leverage and power � it's almost impossible to second-guess a decision. I see his move to an even larger job with Colorado Historical Society as Historic Denver's loss.
Terry Gorrell 09/22/2008 7:34:00 PM

Michael Paglia has it all wrong in Artbeat. Steve Turner has been an extremely effective leader of Historic Denver, Inc. Steve achieved a long time HDI goal of amending Denver�s Landmark Ordinance to extend its protection to landmarks not located within historic districts. Closing that loophole means buildings like the Brown Palace and Mayan Theater have much greater protection against demolition. Steve contributed significantly to historic designation of two important landmarks, the DeBoer Studio and the Fitzroy Mansion, and he secured preservation easements for important structures, including the �Sleeper� house in Jefferson County. Steve strengthened HDI�s relationships with state and national preservation organizations. As a result, HDI was awarded a major grant by the National Trust for Historic Preservation to expand HDI�s preservation services to surrounding communities and to initiate a new program for preserving mid-century modern residences. Preservation advocacy is carried on at many levels and is not an all or nothing endeavor. While HDI was not able to save the modern Hornbein buildings at the old CU Medical Center, Steve did secure modification of the proposed master plan to preserve the historic Nurses Dormitory and Campus Quadrangle. At numerous public meetings, Steve asserted HDI�s requirements for supporting the proposed relocation of the Colorado History Museum to Civic Center Park. When the Colorado Historical Society recognized that HDI�s concerns and other concerns raised by the community could not be resolved within CHS planning constraints, the Park relocation proposal was abandoned. HDI�s Guide Books are popular and valued because they convey reliable information about Denver�s history and landmarks. They are not intended to be advocacy publications but are intended to foster an appreciation of historic architecture. With respect to the work Michael Paglia referenced, some language was edited out because it was felt to be more caustic than informative. Mr. Paglia�s slanted recounting of his conversation with Steve on this point mischaracterizes their discussion and perhaps presents another example of why that editing was necessary.