Kaffy Mintcake

It always makes me sad to see an older building torn down to make way for a new one. Today I read that the dormitory next to the one I lived at when I attended Miami University was torn down to make way for a new business building. This particular building was also one of the subject of the most well-known ghost story on campus. (If you're curious, you can see the building and read the story below)

http://www.ghostsofohio.org/lore/ohio_lore_9.html

To be fair, it was built in 1948, later than I'd thought, so hardly a relic ... particularly for those of you who are from across the pond ... but I had friends who lived there, and wonder if the building I lived in (Symmes) isn't next as it's right next door.

This guy in an Ohiomag.com article "Razing Memories" seemed to share my reaction when he said:
"I didn't think I'd be so upset about it, but I am. You can call it progress, and you can say it's necessary. You can say that time marches on, and that business is just business. You can show me studies, financial reports and long-range land-use plans. I'm sure they're all well thought-out and persuasive. That doesn't make me feel any better.

They're tearing down our dorm, and I don't like it."

Have you ever seen a building torn down that tore your heart a little?

Ray

Probably not up to code... and too expensive to get it there ...

for FL ..60 yo is not a bad age for a building

Kali-forniarrr

ironic since its God's waiting room for crumblies

Kaffy Mintcake

Nah - they have buildings from the early 1800's on campus. I think the location was just too attractive. They're building a new building for the business school where it stood.

True - for Florida it would be quite old.

MsElui

i guess it depends on the building. There are some monstrosities (usually built in the 70s lol) that Id cheerfully set the demolition ball off myself. Others where I would campaign to save. But beauty is in the eye of the beholder so maybe the ones I Loathe are loved by some one (weirdo!).

Kaffy Mintcake

Well that's true. I guess I'm thinking of those that are older or are built in an older style. I'm with you on some of the 70s places!

But I think this one was nice: picture

another bloody yank

Progress... Meh.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Louis_Arena

elfman

the demolition of the original Penn Station in NYC was a crime against history and architecture. Apparently Grand Central nearly went the same way but was saved by a public outcry.

Kaffy Mintcake

This just seems wrong:

Public opinion was overwhelmingly in favor of saving "the Old Barn" as it was affectionately nicknamed. When local artist Bob Cassilly (founder of the private, non-profit City Museum) approached the city government with a $200,000 downpayment toward purchasing the building, Civic Progress pressured the city to hurriedly demolish it through a controlled implosion on February 27, 1999.

That was beautiful! Too bad it wasn't saved and reused in another way so future generations could appreciate it. The replacement?

danfan

Yes, I always get pretty upset when I see the nicer older buildings torn down. Recently our nearest city was due to tear down a lovely Victorian 3 storey home to replace it with parking lot. Someone jumped in & bought it & actually had it lifted from its foundation to move it a couple of blocks away so they could renovate & restore it. It was a huge event around here - thousands filled Main St to watch it get lifted. So glad to see people trying to conserve some of the few beautiful buildings left.

Kaffy Mintcake

Glad to see it was saved - and so glad that people in your town rallied around it. Newer buildings just aren't the same. This building was recently saved in our area. It was sold at auction and bought by a preservationist. It's actually surrounded by industrial parks now (likely farmland at one point) and is in a really odd location. A restaurant or hotel might be a cool way to reuse it.

Kim_Abdn

Well, what annoys me is round here they turn really amazing old buildings into pubs or flats! I have lost count the number of churches that they have converted into pubs and casinos in Aberdeen and the old mental hospital at the back of my house has been converted into executive flats! Hmmmm I guess that kinda shows people what kind of city Aberdeen is!!!:curse:

I guess I should be pleased they aint just tearing down all these places but its just getting so old already!

Kim

Kaffy Mintcake

Sometimes the reuses can be quite clever. Maybe they just need to move away from pubs or casinos to shake it up? I stayed in the following hotel in Oregon that used to be an elementary school:

http://www.mcmenamins.com/index.php?...ion%20Homepage

It was really cool. The detention bar allowed smoking, whereas the honors bar played classical music. The old auditorium was turned into a movie theater, etc. The old classrooms became hotel rooms.

Check it out if you have a moment - neat stuff.

Michael

I live in downtown San Jose California and they currently try to save just about everything old even if it is unattractive. The process is very expensive (typically about 3x the amount to build from scratch) since most old California buildings need to be reinforced with steel girders for earthquakes. By time they are through, the only thing left is the original facade.

Also surrounding the downtown are hundreds of old houses. Some are very beautiful but others are quite unattractive. All are in the historical housing area and the owners must get a special historical review to change anything on the outside.

bevinva

A farmhouse down the road from me is going to be taken down for new houses. One of the outbuildings used to be slave quarters. OH gets really upset when old trees come down and he thinks that somehow things could have been built around them.