Downtown Disappearing Act

[CS Foltz]

I believe those are from "Galaxy Quest"........Tim Allen & Sigorney Weaver .....english dude whose name escapes me......Alan somebody I want to say! I got it........Allen Rickman!

[BackinJax05]

I hated watching the old Acosta Bridge demolition. As I recall, though, the old bridge fought every bit of the way down. As for downtown buildings, was it really necessary to demolish the Heard National Bank building to make way for "Helmut's Pencil"? (The BofA tower)

Sorry, but in my opinion Helmut Jahn's "masterpiece" looks like a 42 floor pencil.

[Timkin]

I hated watching the old Acosta Bridge demolition. As I recall, though, the old bridge fought every bit of the way down. As for downtown buildings, was it really necessary to demolish the Heard National Bank building to make way for "Helmut's Pencil"? (The BofA tower)

Sorry, but in my opinion Helmut Jahn's "masterpiece" looks like a 42 floor pencil.

I remember them trying to dynamite the concrete counterweights to the bridge..  a couple of pebbles blew off and a little dust... and there it sat..

For years before , the Rocket-Scientists at FDOT claimed that Bridge was structurally unsound and could collapse .  Horse cookies! 

[BackinJax05]

I remember that. Fear of collapse led the charge to tear down the old bridge & replace it with an overpass.
Another historic landmark gone forever.

[Timkin]

I remember that. Fear of collapse led the charge to tear down the old bridge & replace it with an overpass.
Another historic landmark gone forever.

Yep.  Not to mention this City's oldest thoroughfare bridge in the downtown  area  destroyed   The Center Span now a pile of rust on the bottom of the Ocean, and blocks of buildings torn down to  make way for the current span.

[BackinJax05]

The original Acosta Bridge was insufficient for cars, but it could have been left as a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. Years ago I would walk the bridges. The view from the top of the old Acosta, facing downtown, was incredible.
Then there was all the ornate work built into the guardrails. Oh well, gotta make way for progress.

[Jaxson]

I hated watching the old Acosta Bridge demolition. As I recall, though, the old bridge fought every bit of the way down. As for downtown buildings, was it really necessary to demolish the Heard National Bank building to make way for "Helmut's Pencil"? (The BofA tower)

Sorry, but in my opinion Helmut Jahn's "masterpiece" looks like a 42 floor pencil.

Frankly, I never thought it it looking like a pencil before, but I will be looking for the majestic #2 to be looming over the skyline next time I cross the bridge downtown : ) But seriously, I remember reading in the Times-Union a while back running an article about how national architects view our downtown architecture (Especially the skyscrapers that make up our signature look) tends to lack the kind of design that we see in Atlanta, Miami or Houston. 

[BackinJax05]

LOL, Jax
Something else about "Helmut's Pencil": If you drive into downtown, north on 1-95, the Wells Fargo (formerly Independent Life) tower blocks the view. You cant see Helmut's Pencil, only the top of it.
From I-95 it looks like the Wells Fargo Building is wearing a Vietnamese style, triangular hat.

PS: If you havent already guessed, Im not too fond of Helmut's Pencil

[BackinJax05]

I hated watching the old Acosta Bridge demolition. As I recall, though, the old bridge fought every bit of the way down. As for downtown buildings, was it really necessary to demolish the Heard National Bank building to make way for "Helmut's Pencil"? (The BofA tower)

Sorry, but in my opinion Helmut Jahn's "masterpiece" looks like a 42 floor pencil.

Frankly, I never thought it it looking like a pencil before, but I will be looking for the majestic #2 to be looming over the skyline next time I cross the bridge downtown : ) But seriously, I remember reading in the Times-Union a while back running an article about how national architects view our downtown architecture (Especially the skyscrapers that make up our signature look) tends to lack the kind of design that we see in Atlanta, Miami or Houston. 

You said #2

A perfect description of Helmut's pencil.

[Overstreet]

Certain times of the year the buzzards come in from the burbs and roost on the top of that building with the bank inside. I'll look and see if I can find the picture. I've always joked that the forclosure section moved to the upper offices and they were having  a meeting.