Working our way up to Community Television

Working our way up to Community Television

By Dalia Diaz

The City of Lawrence has contracted with a Boston architectural firm called Neh Koo Dah to design the planned conversion of the space at 255 Essex St. into the Community Access Television studio.  Mayor Brian DePeña gave me a copy of the graphics they created producing more questions than clarifying my doubts.

Last December 6, the Lawrence Redevelopment Authority (LRA) was to hear a description of the space and how the city was going to use it going forward.  Carlos Matos, who is now working as a consultant on the properties going to the LRA, attended the meeting but forgot to bring the designs so it had to be postponed until the January meeting.

Since I am anxious to see how the City is managing this situation, getting another delay was very disappointing, and communicated to the mayor what I thought of the drawings.  The mayor explained his vision on the telephone and my concern grew because he wants to set up space for a business incubator to help create more commerce and allow office space for the LRA and the Small Business Administration (SBA).

This studio is supported by Verizon’s and Comcast’s subscribers and managed by a staff made up of residents.  Having those offices together with the studio is not acceptable.  Of course, the graphs showed no walls and referred to “foldable walls” between the areas.

It was time for me to see the space because it also provides an entrance to the School Department’s offices upstairs, so we agreed to meet there last Tuesday and I was pleasantly surprised that my doubts were correct; after all, I’m not an architect!

My apprehension was that they were difficult to understand and being there in person, I could see walls that were not defined on the plans, and the area where the mayor plans to create the offices and business incubators is separated by a wall.  That is an area that belongs in the building next door not at 255.

I’m still concerned about the noise level from sirens going by (police, ambulances, firetrucks, etc.) and whether or not there’s enough insulation to make it suitable.

Aside from the huge studio that has been suggested it could be used as two separate studios, if needed, and there were no editing suites provided for or even dressing rooms.

Television producers have their ideas when it comes to decorating, furnishings, and arrangements which then have to be put away for the next production to take place.  All that takes up space and there’s no storage area for all that.

The people in charge of this creation have only seen a studio on television and have no idea of what goes on behind the scenes.

So much for big-bucks architects!