Name:	Michael R. Allen
City:	St. Louis, Missouri
Specific property affected:	Wheatley Elementary School
Comments:	The work of Charles Colbert is fundamental to the development of modern architecture in Lousiana, and scholars are starting to recognize his impact in other parts of the United States. Colbert's educational work is uniquely visionary and an interesting antidote to today's placeless design. What we have left of the architect's legacy should be retained -- for aesthetic, cultural and ecological benefits. Not only is the architectural work a significant part of Louisiana's modern history, but the Wheatley School itself could be part of its future. The imagination that drove Colbert should drive us today -- we can find a creative new way to make use of this fine modern building. However, demolition would remove that possibility. As a taxpayer, I object to federal funding being used to erase our recent past and short-change our future.