Stress relief

Introductions - Urban Issues - Miscellaneous News, Topics, Interests
Bob Stinson's Ghost
Landmark Center
Posts: 264
Joined: January 20th, 2018, 11:36 pm

Re: Stress relief

Postby Bob Stinson's Ghost » February 1st, 2018, 12:06 pm

Yeah, after I posted that I remembered what Saint Paul did to the Rondo neighborhood.

I'll weigh in on the Metropolitan and say that before tearing down a large fully occupied building with no structural issues we should probably think more than twice. I don't think being out of step with the visual esthetic of the day is quite enough.

amiller92
Wells Fargo Center
Posts: 1983
Joined: October 31st, 2014, 12:50 pm

Re: Stress relief

Postby amiller92 » February 1st, 2018, 1:31 pm

Implying St. Paul didn't use the freeway to clear neighborhoods in front of the capitol and Rondo. They just spared properties in their downtown long enough for them to become the good kind of old/historic and not just old. The fact that we tend to focus more on Minneapolis' destruction and largely give St. Paul a free pass since they didn't demolish the "good buildings" is a bit suspect.
Preservation is pretty much invariably about either sustained value or neglect. The old building is still there because no one wanted to replace it. Either because it's still performing well or because there was no interest in putting something bigger/better/more valuable there. Or both. This is true of old buildings in downtown St. Paul. This is where intentional preservation movements go wrong. They seek to impose the judgment of a small handful of interested individuals and pretend that it they are wiser than the market. They aren't. That's why historic protections should be very well grounded and rare.

Tearing down a functioning structure for its own sake, however, should be nonexistent.

User avatar
VacantLuxuries
Foshay Tower
Posts: 973
Joined: February 20th, 2015, 12:38 pm

Re: Stress relief

Postby VacantLuxuries » February 1st, 2018, 1:54 pm

This is where intentional preservation movements go wrong. They seek to impose the judgment of a small handful of interested individuals and pretend that it they are wiser than the market. They aren't. That's why historic protections should be very well grounded and rare.

Tearing down a functioning structure for its own sake, however, should be nonexistent.
I 100% agree here. If people still want to rent in the Metropolitan, don't tear it down. If people want to ensure a neighborhood can never be touched because they're afraid of having to share it with apartments, that's wrong.


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 10 guests