MORE HISTORY BEING "DEVELOPED" AWAY

Back to the bad news, unfortunately. And, once again, it is the shameless Cleveland, Ohio, where the latest scene of depravity is playing out. No less than three historic buildings, all adjacent and two unusually large due to multiple units, are being led to the sacrificial alter by the ward councilperson, eager to please a developer who, for some unknown reason, has chosen the site of these three buildings for his plan. This is located in the very historic Brooklyn Centre district, one of the oldest areas on Cleveland's west side. There are vacant tracts nearby, and there are buildings of more recent construction and lesser significance nearby that could be removed, instead. More than likely, the site is appealing because there is no more than three owners to deal with. One of these buildings is a terrace ("rowhousing") built in 1905 and designed by Cleveland architect George King, perhaps best known locally for the Kennedy building on the southeast corner of Detroit & W. 65th. Another building is a strip of stores, built in 1921. The remaining building is a residence, unsympathetically altered, built in the 1880s. Certainly the councilperson is in a position to steer the project away from this site, but, he seems indifferent. Being indifferent about its history is, unfortunately, Cleveland's greatest claim to infamy. One by one, the history of this city is shipped to the local landfills. What will Cleveland be like when the very last historic building is gone? ----- NOTE: These buildings were demolished late-summer 2009.