Why Is This House Doomed ?
With address numbers indignantly sprayed on its walls it bears the tell tail insignia of a house which will be demolished in short order. David Torke recently featured this house on Fix Buffalo. This proud building stood for over 100 years soaking in the passing of time. Long passed craftsmen climbed its walls and sculpted its form gloriously displaying their skills and sensibilities. It housed generations of families with all their joys and misery. They tucked in their children each night, they argued and laughed and went about their lives for over 100 years touching this inanimate building with their souls. Then, they moved on. They no longer found value or worth in this magnificent structure. But can and should we we toss off such history with such ease? Don't we owe these generations the dignity of caring for their legacy? Are we wasting our own opportunities when we callously dispose of truly beautiful and valuable pieces of our heritage?
I recently asked the question on two other internet forums ' Why is Buffalo not one of America's most beloved cities? ' I accompanied the post with many spectacular examples of Buffalo's architecture. The responses included some snide and sarcastic comments as well as comments expressing astonishment at the beauty of Buffalo's buildings combined with a sadness for the city's plight. Others sighted Buffalo's poor economy and lack of jobs and population decline as an answer to my question. Of course the snide comments are a result of Buffalo's poor national reputation. The lack of jobs and population growth is a result, not cause of Buffalo not being among the most beloved cities.
So why is Buffalo not among the elite and most loved American cities such as Boston, San Francisco, or New Orleans? I believe that part of the reason is that Buffalo does not and has not loved and respected itself. It has not cherished and cared for the infrastructure and unique urban environment it inherited. It eliminated its canal district, it plowed highways through its beautiful parks. It fled to the bland and sterile suburbs instead of investing in its irreplaceable historic core. Of course all of America's cities have participated in these kinds of destructive acts but the greatest of our American cities recognize the power of their unique history and heritage. Buffalo eliminated its own "French Quarter" in favor of parking and highways. Boston and San Francisco build on their history yet in Buffalo a small minority still has to fight a tough battle to save what buildings they can, buildings that can never be brought back. Move this house 4 blocks west and it would be worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. Yet here on Buffalo's ravaged east side it has no value. It will soon be replaced by a soulless cookie cutter house wrapped in plastic siding, a house that can be found in anyplace USA, a house that will add short term value but, will ultimately amount to nothing more than a sad reminder of what Buffalo no longer has.
Buffalo is at a tipping point. It can no longer afford to wantonly destroy its past. It can no longer afford to eliminate the things that have the potential to propel it into the ranks of the elite and most loved cities in this country. Why not invest in this house instead of a new plastic house? Why spend $15,000 to demolish this building and then spend another $200,000 for a lack luster replacement? This is where Buffalo has to start respecting itself. Of course all is not lost in Buffalo. There are many small but growing groups of residents that do understand that the urban fabric of Buffalo is important , that it is worth saving, and that its unique urban heritage will be the source of its future growth. These groups such as the West Village Renaissance Group, The Kleinhans Community Association Block Club and even David Torke fighting his lonely East Side battle as well as many others are beginning to make a difference in long suffering neighborhoods. If successful their efforts will most likely be taken for granted but, I am sure that the members of these groups will not mind that they are not remembered. They will have the amazing fruit of their efforts, A new and beloved Buffalo as payment.
images courtesy of David Torke
There are many issues that would have to be resolved, but for the sake of utopian argument here's a suggestion.
All potential demo properties should be assessed by a team that includes a preservation architect, and a community planner. Properties with legitimate rehab possibilities should be mothballed (from the same pot of money as the demo funds) for future redevelopment.
There is a culture (and business) of demo in this community that skews all decisions toward that end. The building inspectors are friends with the demo contractors, the neighbors think "demo" is the only solution for a vacant building, otherwise rational people looks at a building like this one and think it can't be fixed. We need to change that culture, but it's very slow work.
We need more small restoration contractors to form a lobby to counterbalance the demo contractor lobby, and community education by preservation groups to offer practical alternatives to demo when a building falls into disrepair.
You can't save them all. If it was cheaper to repair than to rebuild wouldn't that be the better option? While I agree with your comment that Buffalo has not respected itself, you've failed to make a valid case for this one house in particular.
Buffalo, you have not made a case why it should be torn down. We have seen the results of eliminating mass portions of the city. That has not worked. I say for the same investment or slightly more the city gains ten fold with renovation over the addition of plastic houses
I think 'C' is on the right track. Yes, there are thousands of empty homes in the city and not all can be saved. The City is doing a terrible job managing City-owned property. As David has pointed out- where are the for sales signs letting the public know that homes such as this and the Woodlawn Rowhouses are City-owned and, in theory, available for sale? Must a potential redeveloper wait until they come up at auction? When is that held? Once a year? Insanity.
Homesteading has been talked about- I think it is tabled in committee. Why? Why not slap a for sale sign on this home instead of a frown? Save the $10,000 in demo costs and give it to a homeowner that will agree to bring the property up to code and live there for ten years. If there are no takers, mothball it or demolish it if it is truly a threat to public health and safety.
The housing crisis appears so large that demolition seems like the logical answer, and maybe it is for many homes. To the City's credit, they are altering their practices in the neighborhood surrounding the Masjid Zakariya Mosque to get properties directly into the hands of owners/redevelopers. If it works, and most are hopeful, the concept needs to be rolled out throughout the city.
Check out this post on today's Buffalo Pundit:
"The Other West Side"
http://buffalopundit.wnymedia.net/archives/2630#comments
And be sure to read the comments at the end of the post.
There are some areas that need to be known in the "system." When the WVRG contacted the Real Estate office at City Hall regarding a lot from a demo building in our area that we wanted to create a community reuse with, there was no communication, per se. No bid was allowed at that time since it was still being reviewed for assessment.
Then, months later, we recieved a notice that they negotiated with another party that received the property. Case Closed.
Get rid of all the property that the Buffalo Muncipal Housing owns and replace with rental vouchers! Give these buildings tenants and owners will rent instead of demolish!
Combine ECIDA and all the other IDA's with the Department of Urban Renewal, HUD, and BMHA....to subsidize the repair, maintenance and mixed income/multi-use residential and commercial redevelopment the city needs!
We have the money and the power to stop demolishing! What we dont have is the leadership to organize and spend it on the community instead of spending it on salaries and patronage and incompetence
Marilyn is right. Instead of banning Judy Einach out of City Hall they should get rid of John Hannon and everyone associated with him in the Real Estate Division.
Steel: what were the other internet forums where you discussed Buffalo being a non-beloved city? I'd be interested in seeing the responses.
Well I can tell you what my expatriot Buffalonians say about their former city.
They love Buffalo but they have alot of negative feeling about the city too (probably because they would have rather stayed).
Expatriots are quick to tell you of the many treasures and pleasures of Buffalo but then comes the other side of the coin.
-corruption
-nepotism and patronage and incestuous closed door contracts
-union control, bad schools
-no leadership
-lack of investment in infrastructure
-no momentum on any major projects
-inability to create jobs, or attract jobs or manage change
-stifling taxes and rule by albany
and the list goes on! Start a Buffalonian on Buffalo and your good for an hour! (LOL)
As far as Judy is concerned, she has a right to speak up and I would think city hall should be more respectful of unpaid volunteers....that being said...there is an abundance of volunteer organizations in Buffalo that need help...so she will find another place to plant roots
The biggest thing Buffalonians and every government needs to do is to clean house and demonstrate to Buffalonians and then the outside world that we are a well run city and a well run county worthy of investing both your business and the lives of your family.
He didn't ask it on mine ... :(
because you have been mean to me. I will though.
Having recently helped save a house from the wrecking ball with the help of a City inspector, I agree each property has to be looked at individually, I Love the idea of giving the houses away as long as person can demonstrate they have the means to rehab it then it can happen ( in not every case but in many)There are many savable homes but there are just as many that warrant demolition,Many homes were built without basements have many additions on them that were not done with the same materials as the main house and the additions pull away from the structures( I call them telescope homes) as more family members came to Buffalo the houses were added unto.Many of these homes can not be saved.
STEEL, really. Can you be that naive? I respect the amount of time you put into this post but the real answer lies in Albany and the politicians that will not enact legislation to benefit upstate NY. Buffalonian's DO respect themsleves and I am beginning to resent being told otherwise. You need to get out of Buffalo a little more and see what other cities look like. I was in Chicago last week and outside of Michigan Avenue (the million dollar mile) the place was filthy with grafitti and litter all over the place...boys town ,Wriglyville, far-loop area, green line, orange line, brown line. Ride those trains that snake through hip and financially viable and alive Chicago and you'd vomit at the condition of some of those places ...really...even the Chicago river had a lot of s*** floating in it. Detroit ditto...St. Louis ...ditto...Rochester...ditto....Philadelphia...ditto. And how could you invoke the name of New Orleans in your list of the beloved when even on a good day that town could make you hurl. I'll tell you exactly what I think Buffalo needs...about another 100,00 people with money, a more favorable tax structure, legislation to make a more business-freindly climate and less people telling us we don't care about our city or respect ourselves. Enough of that already! And, frankly, I find it a little disconcerting that you would openly solicit commentary about why Buffalo isn't one of America's "beloved cities." That only further reinforces our national reputation as pathetic, underachieved and inferior. Have a little pride for heaven's sake and stop the groveling and fishing for compliments. Its embarrasing. You're almost as bad as the Buffalo News slapping every negative it can on the front page for the nation to read.
Buffalo is not one of America's beloved cities. To pretend otherwise is naive. That does not mean it should not be or can not be. But it is hard to ask America to love Buffalo when its own citizens allow precious buildings to rot on its main streets for generations. I bring up New Orleans because it has many of the same problems as Buffalo (discounting recent disasters) however New Orleasn appreciates its history and heritage and because of that it is a cherrished place in America. Buffalo has torn down whole neighborhoods the equivalent of the French Quarter or the Garden District. Where would New Orleans be without those neighborhoods.
As for Chicago...You know not what you speak
As for my posts...they are overwhelmingly positive. I am just not going to be a Pollyanna.
As for groveling for complements...I don't see it that way
I dont remember mentioning Chicago or Philadelphia or New Orleans. As far as Rochester is concerned, it has a horrible downtown and will never be a real urban city....none of the east-west streets or north-south streets connect. Rochester is a canal town but Buffalo is both a canal town and a great lakes city with broad radiating streets.
Bman, Buffalo is one of our nations beloved cities and what our expatriots say, and I say and you said....we are all saying the same thing. Its a love hate relationship. People love Buffalo whether they are visitors, expatriots or residents but at the same time their angry that the city and the county have failed them and their families (and we all know the reasons!)
I will say one difference about Buffalo and Rochester. Buffalo never gets to keep a business. Rochester had Birds Eye but Buffalo had Freezer Queen. Does Freezer Queen exist? No it sold out. What about Gioia? Sold out? I despise how Rochesterians look down on Buffalo with their rahrah zisboombah....but atleast they pound the meaning of being a good corporate citizen and a good community citizen in everyones ears....and instead of blitzing the city with parking tickets the Rochester police are arresting kids for truancy and ringing the doorbells of the parents house when kids are absent! Id put truancy as a higher priority quality of life issue for police than parking tickets!
Yes, Buffalo is a beloved city but we have along way to go in downsizing our local government and holding it and the unions accountable to the taxpayer. Atleast Mohan is setting an example for the rest to follow! Of course the next best thing would be for Williams to respond to the Teachers Union ... by simply closing an entire High School and letting a charter school re-open its place.
Buffalo is not among the elite, beloved cities for one simple reason. The country doesn't need it. All of the cities mentioned in the original post are centers of business and industry. This is mostly due to their location. All of them are major port cities.
Aside from trade with Canada, Buffalo is pretty irrelevant as far as the nation goes. The elite cities are that way because they provide services that are in great demand. This allows them generate far more wealth than a forgotten city like Buffalo can. Because these cities generate wealth the wealthy like to live there, and thus prop up things like the French Quarter. The question remains, why is Buffalo a forgotten city that can't generate wealth? The answer lies in the history of the city.
Buffalo came to prominence for one reason only, the Erie Canal. Because of the Erie Canal, Buffalo became a needed city. Need breeds wealth. The population became wealthy either by local entrepreneurship or relocation. Buffalo was a city of opportunity.
With the canal came major railway construction in Buffalo. The city was connected to major cities to the west and south. This in turn fostered the growth of other industries in Buffalo like the automobile and steel. It was this that put Buffalo on the map.
As more and more wealth was being made in Buffalo the people decided that it needed to be shared, so they elected officials who would redistribute the wealth among the masses. The people also called for stricter regulations on business and voted accordingly.
Eventually movement of the transportation industry to trucks and planes made canals and railroads far more costly and less efficient. Coupled with the high cost of labor in the steel industry, and the low technology of the steel making process, investment in Buffalo's industry moved elsewhere, and with it the wealth.
By this time the people had grown accustomed to feeding off the public largess. Unfortunately the big cats were leaving, and their wealth could no longer be redistributed. The people had to look for new sources of wealth to confiscate. They turned their sights on the slightly less wealthy, but this only served to drive them away too. The next target was the upper middle class. They fled as well. Eventually any real desire to invest in the city diminished, and with it the city itself.
Now we come to the present day. The rules and regulations that seized wealth from likely investors are still in place, and the people show no desire to change them. There is no inherent need to invest in Buffalo like in its early days, so the city just sits there rotting.
Buffalo, New York is a very nice place to be. I say that with great confidence as a result of living in magical places such as Manhattan, San Francisco and now the "chocolate city" of New Orleans.
Without a doubt, New Orleans is a member of an exclusive club of great and loved American cities. Anyone who would dispute New Orleans as a beloved American City understands little about great cities and knows even less about NOLA.
Like Buffalo, New Orleans is scarred with racial strife, corruption, ineptitude and stagnation.
However, New Orleans, unlike Buffalo, embraces its past with great enthusiasm. New Orleans embraces outsiders and eagerly attempts to assimilate them into an intoxicating love of the Crescent City.
Even with an uncertain future and surrounded with destruction EVERYWHERE, New Orleaneans wake up every day in their crowded FEMA travel trailers with a *positive* attitudes despite an Achillian task that awaits them putting their community back together again. Furthermore, New Orleans is a very tolerant city that has *embraced* the differences of it people - black, white, Cajun, Creole, gay, et al.
Unlike New Orleans, the prevailing attitude in WNY is very negative. Folks back "home" are good people. However, like a leatherdaddy that has just entered a bathhouse on a crystal meth binge, Buffalo finds its greatest pleasure only when they put themselves in painful positions.
I'm a professional gay man that left Buffalo because Buffalo/WNY did allow me to be a person. How can Buffalo be a beloved city when it has utter contempt for most of its own sons and daughters - no matter how accomplished?
In sum, Buffalo treats its buildings like it treats many of its own people. This article asks how many great and neglected buildings will be lost. I believe the more alarming problem is how many great and neglected Buffalonians will be lost to places south and west.
Hampsters on a treadmill. The same people saying the same things about the same subjects. Endlessly.
That's Buffalo.
that's a good description daniel dobie, in many ways it has felt that way. fortunately there have been some very cool things happening in buffalo -- and for that i am happy to be a hampster - if that is what you like to say. anyhow, i'd actually rather be a hampster on a treadmill and be doing something positive in my community, than be sitting at my computer on a friday night, making unkind comments on a blog that features a city that i obviously don't appreciate.
Mollie,
I am sorry if I did not take the time to explain myself. Don't ever think I meant that I do not value the persistence of Buffalonians. My remarks were more of a sad cry for a city I love, too.
You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
(To illustrate his last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark)
Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me, hmm?
(Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear
About the elininatin' of the negative
And the accent on the positive)
And gather 'round me children if you're willin'
And sit tight while I start reviewin'
The attitude of doin' right
(You've gotta accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between)
You've got to spread joy (up to the maximum)
Bring gloom (down) down to the minimum
Otherwise (otherwise) pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate (well illustrate)
my last remark (you got the floor)
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they say (what did they say)
Say when everything looked so dark
Man, they said we better
Accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No! Don't mess with Mister In-Between
daniel- sorry for my knee-jerk reaction. i thought you were going somewhere else with that. :)
I think L's list of reasons is pretty good. In particular, these from that list would also be high on my list:
-corruption
-nepotism and patronage and incestuous closed door contracts
-union control, bad schools
-inability to create jobs, or attract jobs or manage change
-stifling taxes and rule by albany
And about the chicken-&-egg point of Steel's regarding (paraphasing) are we not loved because we are not economically successful, or are we not successful because we are not loved?
I think the huge economic problems are definitely the CAUSE, not the result as Steel is trying to make the case for.
I am not rally arguing about the economy and what makes if fire. New Orleans, again, is a good example. New Orleans is corrupt, it has a bad economy with a large poor population, it has bad schools, and many of the problems of Buffalo....But is is one of the Romantic and loved places in America. Why is that? Why does Buffalo not evoke strong positive sentiment in the minds of Americans in the way New Orleans does?
I am not rally arguing about the economy and what makes if fire. New Orleans, again, is a good example. New Orleans is corrupt, it has a bad economy with a large poor population, it has bad schools, and many of the problems of Buffalo....But is is one of the Romantic and loved places in America. Why is that? Why does Buffalo not evoke strong positive sentiment in the minds of Americans in the way New Orleans does?
Steel, in answer to your last question, here is my opinion:
We, here in Buffalo, have not taken advantage of some our most inherent assets. Instead we have ridden the backs of our sports teams forgetting the other assets of our community. Those assets include architecture, history, legacy, and other components that can add to the economic drive of our city through a blanket coverage of tourism dollars.
Here's some evidence:
Michigan Avenue corridor - Underground Railroad, the Nash House, Colored Musicians Club and more next door to the Broadway Barns and rampant with decay. Now, finally, there is hope with hardscaping and hard work by a small group of folks that are concerned with the legacy of this area.
This easily connects to the Canal District. Equally historic in structure and legacy - now, finally, getting the recognition as an area of economic development.
There is a sign by Buffalo General Hospital pointing the way to the "Historic Fruitbelt", but the homes there are in desperate need of repair and neighborhood remediation. If you're going to put up a sign like like, do something to assist the neighborhood.
The West Village was forgotten twice in the last century. Even by historians and preservationists. The neighbors are pushing for remediation and economic development.
Architecture, besides the noted nuildings through the Joseph Ellicott and Delaware Districts, is abundant, like the home featured in this article. Yet, past administrations have not recognized their value for neghborhood revitalization and allowed them to decay.
Buffalo is a series of historic and legacy-filled villages, all connecting one another. However, with the former police commissioner focusing first on his budget and how the city can save money, instead of sweating the small stuff that can rebuild neighborhoods through crime reduction and remediation, just contributed to the neighborhood decay.
Now, we have to run faster than the train and try to catch up. But, with the number of citizens and neighborhood groups working to do so, we can lead by example and hopefully, add to the growing numbers of those who feel we live in a gem of an area, and each neighborhood is a jewel in the city's crown.
We just need to believe.
Thanks for the article, Steel.
Steel,
This is magnificent house whose architectural features combine Victorian Styx with a Queen Ann style and was, without a doubt, constructed for someone of great wealth and perhaps status.
The Corinthian columns are a nice touch, as well.
The history is probably quite interesting as well but probably lost in time…
The shear size is daunting though and I cannot imagine taking-on such a restoration project to transform this house back into a livable dwelling again.
Demographics is a difficult topic to discuss and this house has suffered the consequences of being located in the wrong section of town. If perhaps the building can survive another thirty-years, which is what it may take for the region to rebound, it may be resurrected.
But considering its current dilapidated state, I do not believe the building will survive and will probably become a victim of the proverbial wreaking ball or arsonist.
I truly feel sorry for Buffalo and I wish that I could help her….
It wasn't the "wrong section of town" when it was built, only after the social gentrification of the 33 and 198.
We really need to pull our resources together here and help each other rebuild the neighborhoods and treasures like this won't die to "too bad" and "unfortunate."
The sad thing is that there ARE resources available to save this house but it is not valued by the people in control of the resources. As I have shown there are multitudes of new cheaply detailed houses being built in place of houses like this one. put that money into saving these irreplaceable and valuable historic buildings and then build on that strength. These new plastic houses are a very short term fix.
Marilyn,
As an individual of both history and design, I am familiar with the City of Buffalo’s legacy and this building, as you pointed out, was not in the wrong part of town when constructed and it was not my intention to imply that it was since I was writing in the present tense.
We could all write a joint thesis on the ever changing demographics of Buffalo and still not find an answer or refrain from being accused of some form of racism.
I truly wish that I could personally save such a magnificent building but, as I have already stated, the magnitude of this one particular building would need some form of corporation to resurrect it from its pending fate and not just one individual.
Perhaps with the multitude of adaptive reuse projects commencing in Buffalo this building may survive long enough for its savior to come along….
you know, if this building was in any other city the same size as Buffalo (Newark, NJ, Pittsburg, PA, and Cleveland, OH) it would be snatched up and renovated in a heart beat regardless of its location, which I assume is on the East Side (and we all know how fearful Buffaloians are of their East Side). As Steel pointed out the resources are there, all we need is someone with an open mind, money, imagination, and GUTS in order to turn the building and around.
This morning I visited 194 East Utica again. I've put together a short slide show documenting some of the architectural detail that makes this place so impressive.
Here's the link: http://tinyurl.com/g5gn6
Andre
your statement is not true. The cities you mention have problems equla to or greater than Buffalo's. Pitsburgh in particular is losing population at a greater rate than Buffalo and has many many neighborhoods with bighted buildings of high quality
David,
Nice addition to the existing photo collection and I really like the slideshow presentation.
I stand corrected; the immediate area should not be such a deterrent with the school across the street and the cultural studies building within walking distance.
Any chance we could arrange a tour of the interior to inspect how much damage has occurred?
I am sure we would gather quite a group, just out of curiosity if nothing else.
Mark,
Great idea. I'll put that at the top of my list when I sit down with Antoine Thompson towards the end of next week.
Check back on my little Masten neighborhood blog for times and dates...
Steel:
I live in the Newark area and I can forward you several links to the Star-Ledger, New York Tmes, Jersey Journal and any other NYC metro newspaper that will prove you different. Your right, I can't speak for Pittsburg or Cleveland, but I can speak for my own city/metero area..in fact Newark has grown population and is currently developing all of its neighborhoods. If anyone dosent believe me I'll meet you at Newark International Airport and I can show you around.
Steel
Yes Newark has it's fair share of problems (crime, unemployment, etc.), but we are doing something about it...you can look in the horizon anywhere in Newark and you see developement taking place in all of its neighborhoods, rich, poor, black, white, etc. It dosent help that we have the largest city in the USA right next door to us, but until last year most New Yorkers were afraid to even walk through Newark, let alone live there. But things have began to turn around and the "Manhattenization" or "Hobokenization (as we like to call it on this side of the Hudson River) of Newark has began and is taken off in earnest (I must say even faster than in Buffalo). Don't get me wrong I love my hometown of Buffalo, but when I compare Buffalo to Newark , I see alot of missed opportunities.While Buffalo dreams of a world class airport and extensive light rail system, Newark is expanding theirs. Both cities have similar problems (and yes Newark my be worst off when it comes to crime), but Newark had done something about its situation and has come a long way since the riots of 1967. New York City folks realize this that's way its the hottest market (next to Hoboken and Jersey City) in residential and commercial development.
i subscribe to david torke's blog and just found this post on BR. The "reason" this buidling like all others that are wasting away in many neighborhoods around our city are not being renovated is economic. The success of the Elmwood Strip is a very recent phenomenon as trasnlated into the real estate market. I think we have all been accustomed to buffalo missing the boat or being a late bloomer but now there is a core (mostly represented on this site) of citizens that want to invest in the city. Instead of lementing on the "if onlys" we have to focus on the success of PUSH and KCA and every other selfless organization that puts the city in front of "old buffalo" thinking.
On another note...i watched this thing on the history channel the other night, maybe someone else saw it, where they moved a house out of the way of impending development. It was just as grand as this house and in a neighborhood of similar standing. The point is, we the people who charish this type of archiecture must make it our mission to educate those who decide the fates of these tired worthless buildings. It comes down to simple perception, no matter what neighborhood these beauties are in. BUT hand in hand with that, it must be made economically feasable for those who desperatley want to save these houses to do so.
Maybe it is time for a city wide not for profit that is an advocate for ALL of the cities treasures, with grant writing experience that will take these houses through the historic designation process, making them eligibale for federal matching funds for stabalization and restoration.....i know we have the advocates, but they have no teeth, or gumtion to get it done, and in most cases are too late in identifying these structures before the wrecking balls start swinging. Any one interested?