Architecture Firm KBJ Destroys Historic Church

[Timkin]

Exactly... Its starting to look like BUBBA

[Jaxson]

...and smell like BUBBA, too!  I like going downtown for various events (like ArtWalk), but I really dislike the smell of urine on various sidewalks around the area.  I notice this if I have to park around Julia Street or other areas beyond the beaten path for visitors.

[Timkin]

I don't think you should be knocking down any architecture of the urban fabric unless you plan to put something great there great in its place.  Now we just have an empty lot and a missing tooth!

I don't think we should be knocking anything else that is older down, personally..  The Ambassador is a Prime Example... the member who had "inside" information stated (with no real good reasons for stating it) that the building is coming down.   Knowing the mentality of this city, that post was probably on the mark, but should it?  I saw nothing about the structure that made me think it to be a lost cause. 

I personally am glad the St. James Building was spared but am I wrong? was it not in horrible condition when they started?   I do not get our "City Building Inspectors" and their conclusion along with City Council that if its historic, or even old it just must go.. In no other major City have I seen this.. EVEN DETROIT'S Downtown probably has more refurbished historic buildings than ours.

[I-10east]

Someone must have had a nightmare about KBJ last night or something. How "historic" was that church anyway? Oh, no one cares, I understand, say it's historic to make KBJ truly look like the "bad guys". I understand.

[Timkin]

Would it really matter to you I-10 if it was 50 , 100 + ?   


He who has the gold makes the rules.  It was KBJ's Church ...their option to take it down, and there will probably be many to follow.   Rejoice!  I guess those in favor of demolishing everything old far far outweigh those who do not.

[Timkin]

Guarantee you though, If First Baptist Church owned it, it would be a cold day in hell it came down.

[Jaxson]

I take issue less with the historical aspect of the church than I take issue with the repeated demolition of downtown buildings to the point where there is little left standing.  As I said in a previous posting, the decision to tear down a building cannot be reversed.  We should be taking these choices more seriously.  Downtown already is a wasteland and it's getting worse with every new demolition...

[Jaxson]

Guarantee you though, If First Baptist Church owned it, it would be a cold day in hell it came down.

How true!!!

[I-10east]

Wasn't the church about to fall in on itself? I'm all for a dense DT, but I don't see any benefit of saving a building with no historic value that's about to fall in on itself. I agree with Timkin on the church would still be here if FBC owned it; I cannot see people of the cloth tearing down a church, although they would've had to spend lots of $ to fix it.

[Jaxson]

Was the church about to fall down?  It's too late to know for sure now...

[Timkin]

No it was not falling in on itself or even close.  KBJ latched on to it with the intent of demolishing it.. the same as has been going on for close to the last decade with School 4 except School 4 is in a hell of alot worse shape.. If it were not for public outcry , it probably would be gone already. Id bet anything KBJ bought this fully intending to demo it and would have sooner, had there not been intervention.   If they owned it for the last 25 years and wanted it to sit empty and rot down (winning demolition by neglect, much as Annie Lytle has)  they can, as the owner, do so.   To me the ONLY thing that has saved the School is that it was officially named a historic landmark and if myself and so many others had not raised so much hell about the demolition, my bet is , City Council probably would have pushed it through. More of the same CRAP that has gone on for at least 4 decades in Jax...whether its stable or not , if its old , it MUST GO.  FEW exceptions!