Which Midwestern City destroyed most of its Historical Architecture? (building, state, place)

[Banx]

Originally Posted by Akhenaton06

I like what I see going up in Chicago.

What is the identity you're referring to? Chicago has been a big city for a loooooong time now. It's almost like you're pining for the days it was a frontier town when it was first founded.

I mean all the ethnic neighborhoods and older architecture has been raped by gentrification. Alot of the locals have literally been kicked out and replaced with drones of boring suburbinites and transplants who would rather live in some ticky-tacky condo than an older more historic home that would have stood in the condo's place before. Everybody used to know each other in their community or neighborhood, now it's all snooty transplants who feel like they're too good for one another (especially when it comes to interacting with the locals). That's the death of identity. You might have to of been there for a while, I often realize it's people who are not from Chicago or people who just started living there recently that tend to put up the biggest fight against those oppossed to gentrification, or seem confused as to why people dislike gentrification. Alot of locals really don't like it, and will make the same arguement. Put it this way, it's like Charlotte and its fight against the New Yorkers and Floridians flooding the city. I've seen alot of people on this forum from Charlotte that have fear that it will loose its identity as well.

[MplsTodd]

Among downtowns, I think that Minneapolis clearly was the biggest loser in our historical architecture. Our civic leaders completely bought into that "out with the old, in with the new" mindset that was common in the 1950s-1960s when we had our Gateway Urban renewal project. The original part of downtown Minneapolis was centered along Washington Avenue between Hennepin and Third Avenue South. Downtown began migrating southward in the late 1800s and retail became centered more around 5th-8th streets along Nicollet. Continued downtown development has also led to the loss of other older buildings, although many of them were not all that interesting because of their fringe location (at the time of their construction). What I mean to say is that builders built the more interesting buildings in the heart of downtown, and less interesting properties on the fringe. Minneapolis tore down its old heart (the gateway, which was the heart until about 1910 or so).

A close runner-up would be downtown St. Paul, which destroyed about 12 square blocks of its core area for new development back in the 1960s (Capital City Redevelopment or something like that). This area extends from Wabasha on the west to Jackson (and possibly even Sibley), between 5th Street to 8th Street. With the exception of a few buildings (like the Golden Rule Building) most buildings were torn down in this area, to be replaced by lots on 1960s-1970s vintage office buildings, parking garages and Daytons (now Macy's).

[mas23]

chicago could step its urban renewal game up. they got these suburban like condos in the middle of older buildings. It looks strange....

[Banx]

Originally Posted by mas23

chicago could step its urban renewal game up. they got these suburban like condos in the middle of older buildings. It looks strange....

exactly, this is what I'm sayin...

[Venom]

Yes cool buildings like this






are being replaced by this







You can even see how they look out of place in the pictures.

[Banx]

Originally Posted by Venom

Yes cool buildings like this






are being replaced by this







You can even see how they look out of place in the pictures.

Yeah exactly, perfect example. Man thas hard to look at, everyone here is talking about how their cities were destroyed, and giving examples from over half a century ago, while Chicago is being destroyed right now, in front of our very eyes. If its one city that is really truly killing itself right now, it is Chicago. Anyone who appreciates what is going on in the pictures above should really just stay out in the suburbs, you will get jumped in Chicago... and it will probably be by me. You all are the ones killing this city. Why move to a city if you're going to live a suburban lifestyle? Buncha idiots. God those condos are so ugly, its straight up sickening... imagine how outdated it will look in 10 years.

[DeaconJ]

Take a look at these sites on St. Louis...warning: it's a very painful journey.

Vanishing STL

Built St. Louis: Home

[goat314]

I really dont see how Minneapolis is winning. When cities like Detroit and Chicago have had areas the size of Minneapolis destroyed from white flight, gentrification, urban renewal etc in the last 50 years. I would even argue that St. Louis has lost a hell of a lot more impressive architecture then Minneapolis (like most of our immediate northside). No bash on Minneapolis, I just think its historical architecture is not that impressive compared to other cities in the Midwest. Minneapolis has some great modern architecture, but as far as historical architecture my top cities would be.

Chicago (Best historic skyscrapers, New York of the Midwest feel, greatest density of historic buildings)
St. Louis (endless miles of Red Brick flats and rowhouses, best rehabbed warehouses and potential warehouse districts Midwest after Chicago IMHO)
Cincinnati (Over the Rhine has a hell of potential and the hills really frame the historic house well)
Detroit (So much has been lost, but Detroit is full of historic gems, lord knows Detroit was drop dead gorgeous in its heyday)

No Particular Order

[Akhenaton06]

Originally Posted by Banx

I mean all the ethnic neighborhoods and older architecture has been raped by gentrification. Alot of the locals have literally been kicked out and replaced with drones of boring suburbinites and transplants who would rather live in some ticky-tacky condo than an older more historic home that would have stood in the condo's place before. Everybody used to know each other in their community or neighborhood, now it's all snooty transplants who feel like they're too good for one another (especially when it comes to interacting with the locals). That's the death of identity. You might have to of been there for a while, I often realize it's people who are not from Chicago or people who just started living there recently that tend to put up the biggest fight against those oppossed to gentrification, or seem confused as to why people dislike gentrification. Alot of locals really don't like it, and will make the same arguement. Put it this way, it's like Charlotte and its fight against the New Yorkers and Floridians flooding the city. I've seen alot of people on this forum from Charlotte that have fear that it will loose its identity as well.

OK, I see where you're coming from now. Thanks for the clarification.

[Bobilee]

Philadelphia still tears down Federal era buildings, even though some of them are small. Here is a mews that was being restored between 6th & 5th Sts. on Fitzwater, you had to pass a small Federal brick cottage to enter the mews and behind it is a street of trinities. Imagine my total shock when I walked past it a few weeks ago and it was gone. What a perfect way to enter a mews or advertise it, almost a mascot for the developer, to walk past a 200 year old house. Here is the outline of what was left, almost like those ghosts on walls after the Hiroshima blast. It looked like the small houses on the left of this illustration. http://www.philadelphia-reflections....ia_in_1800.jpg