Bulldozing- from L.A. to ...

...Houston.

South Central Farm in L.A. has been bulldozed even though the asking price of $16.3 million was raised. Bulldozed to build another warehouse in an already saturated warehouse district. The largest urban farm in the U.S. has been razed...and from the looks of the video presented by DHlovelife this happened with loud protest.



(I know I'm a little behind on my postings and especially on this topic... none the less... may it serve as a reminder.)

Houston....a city where generally many architectural landmarks disappear without a fight... is fighting for River Oaks Shopping Center, including its beloved movie theater, Houston's oldest functioning movie theater (opened in 1939).(Houston has some of the weakest historic preservation laws in the country.)

The River Oaks shopping center faces demolition in 2008 by Weingarten Realty to make way for high-rise condos. Their website boasts a slide show of Krogers and Staples and headlines it with "Focused for building for the Future"??!!! Apparently their vision for the "future" is made up of strip centers filled with Marshalls and Staples every mile and a half.

The good news is that there seems to be a majority of Houstonians expressing concern and signing the petitions.
BUT...Lets not forget about this one. Apparently Weingarten's hope is to wait it out until the initial shock wears out and people forget come 2008.

The Greater Houston Preservation Alliance suggests that everyone that has a concern to write a letter to the following person at Weingarten Realty, and copy the Mayor and Council Member Ada Edwards with the concerns. They recommend that the letter should include points such as the historical significance of the buildings, cultural significance of the theatre, that it meets the needs of the community it serves, and that there are few places in Houston where one can walk from their homes to enjoy shopping, dining, and entertainment.

This is the contact information:

Mayor Bill White
mayor@cityofhouston.net

Councilmember Ada Edwards (River Oaks Shopping Center and Theater)
districtd@cityofhouston.net

Councilmember Anne Clutterbuck (Alabama Theater/Bookstop)
districtc@cityofhouston.net