Editor’s Note: I received the following letter from Jeremy C. Erdreich this afternoon. Erdreich is the principal of Erdreich Architecture, PC. It was written in response to this post on our city’s urban fabric. If anyone else has comments on the post, either comment directly to the post or submit your letter to andre@bhamterminal.com. – ACN
André,
Great job with The Terminal. I peruse it daily, as do friends of mine.
I want to commend you particularly on your editorial regarding the city’s attitude towards its history and its sense of urban place. As you know, we’ve always had a weak sense of the public, of the collective, and of urbanity here. I am very disheartened by the destruction of the Birmingham News building – as much about the lack of debate of other options as the actual demolition.
I witnessed a similar demolition request at Design Review this morning for the Parliament House Hotel on 20th Street. The committee focused only on how the parking deck’s alley face would be patched once the connector to the hotel was removed. The loss of the building itself was never addressed in discussion. Only at the very end did [design review committee] chair Sam Frazier say something like “You know, this is actually an historic building. Doris Day stayed here; President Nixon slept here. Is this building defined as historic?” He posed the question to Karla Calvert, the city historic officer, who demurred: “I’m not sure; I don’t think so.” Sam asked her for a yes or a no, but she would not give one. So he gave up, the demolition passed, and in a few years the city’s best example of late “Miami Beach” Modern will ostensibly be replaced by a mediocre, boxy, red brick UAB building of some sort or another.
History is subjective, and what we define as “historic” is subjective. But is was just sad that whether in the case of the News, or the Parliament House, there are only a few lone voices speaking out, if at all, and no movement to at least hold owners and developers more accountable to the community for their plans.
Again, thanks for your enlightened editorial.
Jeremy
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Are there enough voices?
09.26.2007 by André Natta · → 1 Comment
Editor’s Note: I received the following letter from Jeremy C. Erdreich this afternoon. Erdreich is the principal of Erdreich Architecture, PC. It was written in response to this post on our city’s urban fabric. If anyone else has comments on the post, either comment directly to the post or submit your letter to andre@bhamterminal.com. – ACN
André,
Great job with The Terminal. I peruse it daily, as do friends of mine.
I want to commend you particularly on your editorial regarding the city’s attitude towards its history and its sense of urban place. As you know, we’ve always had a weak sense of the public, of the collective, and of urbanity here. I am very disheartened by the destruction of the Birmingham News building – as much about the lack of debate of other options as the actual demolition.
I witnessed a similar demolition request at Design Review this morning for the Parliament House Hotel on 20th Street. The committee focused only on how the parking deck’s alley face would be patched once the connector to the hotel was removed. The loss of the building itself was never addressed in discussion. Only at the very end did [design review committee] chair Sam Frazier say something like “You know, this is actually an historic building. Doris Day stayed here; President Nixon slept here. Is this building defined as historic?” He posed the question to Karla Calvert, the city historic officer, who demurred: “I’m not sure; I don’t think so.” Sam asked her for a yes or a no, but she would not give one. So he gave up, the demolition passed, and in a few years the city’s best example of late “Miami Beach” Modern will ostensibly be replaced by a mediocre, boxy, red brick UAB building of some sort or another.
History is subjective, and what we define as “historic” is subjective. But is was just sad that whether in the case of the News, or the Parliament House, there are only a few lone voices speaking out, if at all, and no movement to at least hold owners and developers more accountable to the community for their plans.
Again, thanks for your enlightened editorial.
Jeremy
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