Re: Hillside Community Center
4 views
Skip to first unread message
Peter Stark
Jan 13, 2012, 12:05:16 PM1/13/12
to Anthony Belluschi, hills...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for doing this Anthony. I knew your father well, worked with him and have been to your house. I didn't realize you had moved to the neighborhood nor that your mother had passed. I'm sorry.
Park's suggestion of closing Hillside is likely political - but still a real threat. We may need to mobilize the neighborhood and invite Nick Fish to Hillside to see for himself. Peter
Dear Commissioner Fish and Mr. Abbate,
As a fairly recently returned native of Portland, It seems to me very short sighted to think about closing one of the most important symbols that we have left in America, the "Community Center" in the NW.
My father, architect Pietro Belluschi, was an immigrant who came to Portland as a young man in the 20's and adopted this city as his own. After many years he became a prominent member of the community and he designed the Hillside Community Center about 1948, and in the same year was also honored to design the house immediately next door to it, which he eventually purchased for his own use until he passed away in 1994. My mom continued living there until her passing in 2009. That house is now where my wife and I live since we have relocated to Portland from Chicago.
Whereas, we do not yet know very many in the neighborhood, I do know that this community is, by far, the best one I have ever lived in and I have lived all over the US and overseas since leaving Portland in my youth. To NOT have the community center would be like taking away the glue that holds friends and families together. This may be one of the problems in many areas that do not have one, and you should certainly be very careful in thinking of taking away the very symbol that makes our areas safer, more meaningful, and which allow the families and their children to understand the very meaning of the word.....community.
Our hope is that you will not be "penny-wise and pound-foolish" when the decision is made to keep open the Hillside Community Center. I encourage the city to very carefully re-consider this matter on the part of the entire 350+ that call this area home.
Sincerely,
Peter T Stark, AIA
STARK DESIGN
Architecture and Planning
503/274-4409 fax
503/805-4141 cell
On Jan 13, 2012, at 8:55 AM, Anthony Belluschi wrote:
Dear Commissioner Fish and Mr. Abbate,
As a fairly recently returned native of Portland, It seems to me very short sighted to think about closing one of the most important symbols that we have left in America, the "Community Center" in the NW.
My father, architect Pietro Belluschi, was an immigrant who came to Portland as a young man in the 20's and adopted this city as his own. After many years he became a prominent member of the community and he designed the Hillside Community Center about 1948, and in the same year was also honored to design the house immediately next door to it, which he eventually purchased for his own use until he passed away in 1994. My mom continued living there until her passing in 2009. That house is now where my wife and I live since we have relocated to Portland from Chicago.
Whereas, we do not yet know very many in the neighborhood, I do know that this community is, by far, the best one I have ever lived in and I have lived all over the US and overseas since leaving Portland in my youth. To NOT have the community center would be like taking away the glue that holds friends and families together. This may be one of the problems in many areas that do not have one, and you should certainly be very careful in thinking of taking away the very symbol that makes our areas safer, more meaningful, and which allow the families and their children to understand the very meaning of the word.....community.
Our hope is that you will not be "penny-wise and pound-foolish" when the decision is made to keep open the Hillside Community Center. I encourage the city to very carefully re-consider this matter on the part of the entire 350+ that call this area home.
Sincerely,
Anthony Belluschi FAIA
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages