Dear President Brownell,
The owners of the home at 601 N. Calvert Ave. have agreed to sell their property. Ball State has acquired the land it has sought for more than two years.
As a voice of the student body, we appeal to you here.
The university intends to tear down David and Jacquolyne Werner's former home and build a parking garage on the land.
Please reconsider this. The Werners were generous and active Ball State University alumni. David was an avid supporter of public transportation -- the exact opposite of the university's intentions with the property.
Both Werners are deceased, but they are far from forgotten.
The university has reached an agreement with the Werner family, but the time to act properly and respectfully has not passed. Steadfast opposition to the university's plan still exists.
A Web site, http://www.save601.com, has been up for several months in an effort to help preserve the home and raise awareness. An online petition lists voices of the community, all appealing to the current administration to preserve this home.
If the university acts disrespectfully, fiscal repercussions could be severe. Has Ball State's administration thought about what this says to current and future alumni donors?
Tearing down this home says, "Giving to Ball State means little if you're in the way of its 'master plan.'"
Why should anyone donate to Ball State if this is how donors are treated in return?
However, Ball State could show compassion, which in addition to being good for public relations, is simply the right thing to do.
Because so few people want to see this home go, finding a positive solution should be the primary concern.
Your administration could say, "We saved the Werner home."
But public relations are secondary here. The Werners gave to Ball State, and Ball State's gestures toward them should be of gratitude.
President Brownell, since your arrival at Ball State, decisions have been fair, and nothing has tarnished your term. However, if mishandled, this could be a blemish that the community will remember for years to come.
A gigantic parking structure will be the reminder.
In 1999, the university responded to similar opposition by undertaking the massive project of moving the McKinley House to its current site, across University Avenue from Lucina Hall. Early in negotiations for the Werner home, this option was considered again.
Ball State University can move this home and dedicate it to its former owners, who no doubt earned some recognition in their lifetimes. Surely there is a spot of land on this campus where this home -- and this situation -- could rest.
Positive options certainly exist. Please, keep this home intact.
Preserve it and dedicate it to the Werners. Do something worthwhile. Above all, don't waste it.
You will be remembered for how you remember the Werners.
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