Comments on: Daily Demolition Report: Dinging Bell

By: Chris Litherland

Chris Litherland — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:48:04 +0000

Yes, I did go to the north side of town and all over the city. Yes, a lot of stuff gets knocked down but a lot is saved. Old North St. Louis is actively preserving lots of old housing stock on the north side of town. St. Louis is unfortunately incredibly ghetto so a lot of it is knocked down due to people not having any money to repair the old buildings. Here in Houston, theres plenty of money and the houses that get knocked down here for the most part, especially in the heights and montrose are in plenty good condition to be restored. Theres no need to knock down old buildings if theres a means to preserve it. St. Louis a lot of the time doesnt have the means or the money to preserve its history, but we here in Houston have plenty of money.

By: Houston Yankee

Houston Yankee — Thu, 06 Sep 2012 01:00:29 +0000

I can’t stay quiet on the STL topic any longer. Chris, honey, did you grow up in St. Louis or did you just visit? Did you happen to venture over to the completely-abandoned, segregation-ravaged north side of town? Do you happen to read the STL preservation blogs that document the demolition by neglect and arson for brick theft? You think the city is prosecuting those people? Have you read about how the STL Archdiocese and SLU president get to have their way with the CWE due to whatever backroom deals they make with the preservation board? The grass is always greener…

110 years ago, STL was the 4th largest city. Today, it’s Houston’s turn. Comparing their housing stocks and platting is apples to freight trains.

By: Ross

Ross — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:49:59 +0000

The Heights will never be a tourist attraction based on architecture. There were never enough houses, and few of them are significant.

By: sboney

sboney — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 23:16:44 +0000

Lots of families think the new condos have enough character to purchase them. Government should not be in the business of arbitrating aesthetics and “character.” Jeez, just a little wealth and few generations and we are completely willing to throw away the values that built the place. How sad. We keep replacing common sense and integrity with laws and bureaucracy and pretty soon we will have record indebtedness and the highest level of adult incarceration in the world. Oh wait.

By: Commonsense

Commonsense — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 21:39:12 +0000

And who defines “character”? You?!?? Give me a minute to stop laughing.
This is precisely why forced preservation is bad, no ONE person or a small group of fringe nazis should define what is or is not estetially pleasing.

By: Chris Litherland

Chris Litherland — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 20:08:55 +0000

I am so dismayed to see so many anti preservation folks on here and spoonman, you think those new condos going up all over the city have character? Lol

By: PYEWACKET2

PYEWACKET2 — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:43:16 +0000

“I moved to the heights because it’s the last semi intact historic neighborhood.”

Untrue.

By: Spoonman.

Spoonman. — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 19:26:16 +0000

How important do you have to think you are to decide that every building which doesn’t meet your tastes is “soulless” and destroys a “sense of community”?

By: Chris Litherland

Chris Litherland — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 18:35:15 +0000

Shorter spoonman, I want all of Houston to be covered in soulless 3 story condos because I love the free market and don’t care about a sense of community. If you do any research on the subject, historic preservation increases land values, spurs development of infill and creats a tourist base that in turn helps local cafes and shops. You are also completely disregarding any of the points im making and not refuting them. I moved to the heights because it’s the last semi intact historic neighborhood. People move there due to the historic architecture. But you would rather see it turn into another montrose. You are totally disregarding the fact of how well
Preservation has helped out many many other cities in America.

By: Spoonman.

Spoonman. — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 15:22:59 +0000

Shorter Chris: I don’t care if it’s right, I want the government to enforce my tastes.

By: Chris Litherland

Chris Litherland — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 14:50:17 +0000

Lives are destroyed by historic preservation, blargh! You guys need to calm down. Somehow every other major city in America is getting by just fine and has tourists due to preservation. What, do you think that the French Quarter shouldnt be preserved or maybe the East side of Boston should just be torn down, or Grenwich Village. Somehow people are getting by just fine and in fact have a better sense of community with preservation. Sure, it can cause a headache now and then but think about the greater good it will be doing for the city. But I digress, lets just tear it all down, screw it.

By: Sboney

Sboney — Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:19:09 +0000

To those who think blood has to run in the street for it to be bad, you are missing the mark. Read the tax rulings in any jurisdiction (they are almost always on the web). Someone has to pay for all that enforcement and rule making and rule interpretation. Lives are destroyed. Sorry, but if you have never owned a business, never had an employee, or never had a government employee come visit you do not understand. Really. There is no such thing as a little cancer.