Impromptu quiz: What is most disturbing about last night's burning of the Woodlawn Row Houses?
View image
A.) The fact that they were one of the last few sets of row houses left to Buffalo?
B.) The fact that people, like David Torke of fixbuffalo.com, have been begging for years for something to be done before this happened?
C.) The fact the historic structure is owned by the city?
D.) The fact that the row houses have been on a landmark list since the early 80s?
E.) All of the above. (We have a whole alphabet of reasons this is a damn shame, but we'll quit here.)
This isn't a case of hindsight being 20/20. Rather, it's a case of the writing being on the wall...for a long time. Torke has practically acted as personal real estate agent for this structure, marketing it on Craigslist and through other avenues, sometimes attracting viable out-of-town investors, but to no avail.
Torke was wrong about one thing; he looked at this as culminating in a demolition by neglect scenario, and starting in March of 2004, he posted monthly updates on the property. In that time, news has gone from nothingness, to hopeful, to the present, worst-case scenario for the row houses.
In a past post of a slideshow of the East Side that I posted on BR in May of 2007 (now unavailable), commenter Carol_Anne said: I think that we should tear down or burn down the vacant houses, especially the stupidrow houses on woodlawn ave that everyone whines about.
The eeriest part of that comment? The row houses weren't in the slideshow. And now they're gone. Will they serve as a cautionary tale in their absence? Torke says we value our historic properties and is looking for others he might turn his attention to with better results in the wake of this loss.
For now, we'll look wait for word on the assessment of the damage, along with the next step for the row houses. The arson investigation begins.
Can we take the city to housing court for failing to secure and maintain the properties that it owns?
David Torke pointed out that it will probably cost $100K to demolish the ruins. Maybe it would have been better to have spent that money earlier on securing, maintaining, and marketing this historic landmark.
Elena, sounds like you should pass on that comment from Carol_Anne to the BPD, as this certainly looks like an arson case. (Only half kidding.)
Moral obligation says so.
Elena,
Will your sense of moral obligation also force you to forward this little gem that commenter Andrew made in today's thread on UB's Downtown campus?
"as for north campus... who cares. blow it up."
will this comment be forwarded to the Police, or because it attacks BRO favorite target, UB North, will you let it slide?
I assume both commenters were speaking in hyperbole, but perhaps the view from your high horse will enable you to see it differently?
I consider all suggestions like that to be idle talk. I wouldn't have given the comment about burning the row houses another thought if this hadn't happened. Now that it has, that comment becomes part of an investigation.
As for blowing up UB North, I have to ask what on earth you're talking about. You make an assumption that I would sanction it, or even talk of it?
I lived on that campus as a freshman, and though I did branch out into living in Buffalo while I finished my college career, I will say this - most of my classes were on Main Street, I practically lived in the old meter building, and I found my way around greater Buffalo because I liked it and wanted to explore it. It was the difference between my "college world" and my "world". UB students on the North Campus, which is there to stay, will find Buffalo if they are of a mind to.
So, on the even brighter side, I'm very happy about the move downtown and also that my beloved South Campus will be populated, left intact and made better over time (those metal annexes - we won't miss them). Want me to whine about something? I would love to see the old meter building made into something, anything, but it's out of UB's hands now.
And PS, since I lived at UB North, they have made many additions and improvements. For my own purposes, it's where I returned to take night courses in stained glass making some years back. I suggest all adults in the region take a look at the night courses there because they offer a lot. So see, we go there, and they come here, and it's all part of UB, and it's all good.
Elena, isn't about time that BRO allow users to flag inappropriate comments and vote thumbs up/thumbs down votes on comments? (The Toronto Globe & Mail has a nice format for this.)
Typical, censorship of comments that you don't agree with.
Displaying your ignorance again or just being a troll?
Neither, just calling a spade a spade... you call for censoring comments that don't fall within what you deem to be acceptable. Who are you to judge?
That's not how the TG&M website works, but keep having fun with your tirade.
Then stick with the Toronto Globe site