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| "'Demolition of a building at San Antonio and Mesa in Downtown is underway. It's one of five buildings River Oaks Properties is demolishing on a Downtown block for possible future development. Preservationists had tried to get the city to stop the demolitions because they said the buildings are historically important for El Paso.' ( Rudy Gutierrez—El Paso Times)" |
Here's another:
Oops - sorry that was the aftermath of a
See KVIA's raw video footage of the demolition of a building on San Antonio. That demolition violated construction rules. The demolition company working for River Oaks will be slapped with a (don't fall out of your seats now) whopping $1700 fine. (Chump change.)
You be the judge. Here's a ahhh lovely River Oaks development, another strip mall, the El Dorado Plaza:
Here's the Trost's John Muir Building, an architectural gem not a tacky strip mall (now demolished):
With some work the John Muir building could have been restored just as the Mulligan/Luther building now has been for the City of El Paso:
Now (finally) watch the video and imagine what could be if love for community, civic duty and pride for our heritage win out over greed:
And do visit Sundancesquare.com. This is what can be in El Paso. We deserve it. Not this, River Oaks.
Good work, Jim! As a young college student in the early 60s I can remember "running 'round" old Fort Worth in the pre-Sundance days. Have admired the city as it's transformed itself. Many other cities have kept its soul through Sunbelt transformation. Here's my link to one possibility for Lincoln building, for instance. http://desertmountaintimes.com/category/border-stories/ Little tongue-in-cheek but the point still there. Don't ever give up on losing the contributions of the past.
ReplyDeleteRestoring these historic buildings maintains the essence of El Pasos' early beginnings. The value of these architectural works of art in our history can never be replicated. They irrefutably stand as icons to an era gone past. It is very disturbing to know that they are being demolished.
ReplyDeleteThank you for all your efforts in attempting to open the eyes of others in the importance of maintaining, as Dan Bodine expresses it, the soul of the city.