Dear Neighbor,
The roof of the building that once housed the Wisdom Bridge Theater at 1559-61 W. Howard collapsed this afternoon (Wednesday). A portion of the front facade also collapsed, sending debris onto the front sidewalk. Fortunately, no one was hurt.
An emergency demolition crew is on the scene, and the entire building should be demolished by tomorrow (Thursday). The building has been vacant and in foreclosure, and the City recently obtained an emergency court order to demolish the building after experts determined it was no longer safe. The demolition was scheduled to take place in the next two to three weeks.
As you might recall, developer Richard Aronson has proposed a seven-story mixed-use building for the Wisdom Bridge site and the property immediately to the east. Several community meetings were held, and I announced earlier this week my support for the development proposal. Mr. Aronson reached an agreement with the bank foreclosing on the property to purchase the property after the foreclosure is completed. At the time the purchase takes place, the city will be reimbursed for the cost of the demolition.
I will keep you apprised if any new information arises.
Sincerely,
Joe Moore
9 comments:
Mr. Aronson should also be charged for all the police manpower diverted to covering his broken down property during the roof collapse.
This is the second building collapse on Howard within the past year, for Chrissakes. This should not have been allowed to happen- it was well known for years that that building was beyond salvation and in a very weakened state. It was one wonderful piece of luck that no one was injured,thank God. We have enough tragedy around here. A pedestrian or auto could have been struck by falling debris. Why wasn't this building taken down long ago? Seems to me that the city moves very slowly in taking action on dangerous conditions around here.
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This old house.
Expect the unexpected.
Well having your building collapse would be pretty damn sucky and unexpected.
Yeah you are pretty crappy landlord
if your building eventually gives up on you and becomes a heap of bricks before you either fix it up
or demolish it.
Just shows you how slow the courts move in getting rid of derelict buildings or making landlords fix up buildings
That building was known to be dangerously decrepit for many years. The courts should have moved on it a long time before- the local neighbors have been agitating for it to be either rehabbed or removed for a long time.
The authorities move pretty briskly on stuff like this in other areas of the city. I know the people who own the restaurant bldg on Argyle that burned up a couple of years back. The building was only allowed to sit in boards for a year while the owners squabbled over plans for the property, until the city showed up one day with a demolition crew. The owners had to fend them off and start to work immediately rebuilding the building, though why they rebuilt the old structure is a mystery to me.
Our local authorities should have moved on this place a long time ago, and it's not as though they didn't have the power. It was pure neglect on their part.
Sing along now.
Wisdom Bridge is falling down, falling down,
falling down.
Wisdom Bridge is falling down.
My fair lady.
Good riddance to bad rubbish.
Can you not read, Craig? Aronson doesn't own the building yet, the bank foreclosing on it does.
"Mr. Aronson reached an agreement with the bank foreclosing on the property to purchase the property after the foreclosure is completed. At the time the purchase takes place, the city will be reimbursed for the cost of the demolition."
Well, now at least no one in the 'hood can make the lame suggestion that Wisdom Bridge should be revamped into a "performing arts center," like they do in other neighborhoods with decaying theater buildings.
Besides, Howard St. itself is a hugely entertaining "performing arts center." Too bad most of the performances are illegal.
Moldy. Don't let facts get in the way of righteous anger!
a testament to the power of no. north of howard whiners and bitchers remind me of the republican party. doing nothing but tearing down people and institutions, fighting, complaining. so, when someone like eva mc cann is given an opportunity to build something, you see what happens. bickering and backbiting tie progress up in knots, and it all falls down.
and yes craig, please get it straight. this building was owned by a non-profit run by the noh complainers. they ran it into the ground, blew good opportunities and ended up in foreclosure. in a pile of rubble. a shining example of the predictable endpoint of bitching.
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