11 Beautiful Train Stations That Fell to The Wrecking Ball (And the Crappy Stuff Built in Their Place) (2009, city hall)

[TheWereRabbit]

Here's a list from a site called, The Infrastructurist. I came across it in an article in The Boston Globe and immediately thought it was something that would interest a lot of people here.

Demolished! 11 Beautiful Train Stations That Fell To The Wrecking Ball (And The Crappy Stuff Built In Their Place) » INFRASTRUCTURIST

Although I am not against development or anything it is sad to see these beautiful structures go.

Does anyone have any other buildings they would have liked to see stick around? How about some slated for demolition that you think should be saved?

(If this isn't supposed to be on General US please move it, Mods... but I hope it doesn't just get the ax)

[Hoarfrost]

The Michigan Theatre, gutted and turned into a monument to the almighty car.



Speaking of demolition, I liked Menino's plan to destroy that blasphemy against God and man called the Boston City Hall.

This gem:



Is what the clods on my city council want to tear down. I wonder what beatiful wonder will replace it? Perhaps a Burger King, or a glorious parking lot! You can never have too much parking!

[TheWereRabbit]

Originally Posted by Hoarfrost

The Michigan Theatre, gutted and turned into a monument to the almighty car.



Speaking of demolition, I liked Menino's plan to destroy that blasphemy against God and man called the Boston City Hall.

That's kinda cool that they kept the ceiling but at the same time it just feels so bastardized and its almost worse to keep the carcasses of the beautiful building it once was. Ahh, and it really was great

As of now, he's not planning on going through with tearing down City Hall but I think it'll bounced around for quite a while. If it ever happens a LOTTTT of thought needs to be put into what is going to go there. And they would probably move city hall to the seaport which so far is not the new hip neighborhood it was planned to be. Hopefully Menino will win reelection this year so he can follow through with it, but I also hope it runs smoothly and "reasonably" cheaply if it does happen.

For those of you who don't know the monstrosity that Hoarfrost is referring to:


And here is the brutal rape of Scollay Sq that made this brick wasteland:
Demolition of Scollay Square 1960 - 1963



(PS- as ugly as it is I have some great memories at City Hall Plaza and will probably miss it if it ever goes....just a little)

[TheWereRabbit]

Hoarfrost, I missed your 2nd picture. I've seen the building before and had heard it was deserted but didn't think anyone was crazy enough to want to tear it down. Ahhh hopefully someone finds some use for it. I would rather see it turned to condos or something than destroyed. God forbid. But seriously folks, lets take donations we need to save Detroit!!! it's too cool to see go

[Huckleberry3911948]

over and over, all kinda talk by local gov agencies about cut backs lay offs and pay cuts for civil servants, the workers submit, then next morning they bulldoze the 40 year old public buildings and put up brand new ones. all the managers are then given bonuses.

[Hoarfrost]

Hoarfrost, I missed your 2nd picture. I've seen the building before and had heard it was deserted but didn't think anyone was crazy enough to want to tear it down. Ahhh hopefully someone finds some use for it. I would rather see it turned to condos or something than destroyed. God forbid. But seriously folks, lets take donations we need to save Detroit!!! it's too cool to see go

I'd rather it stay deserted or have squatters than to see it gone forever. When they said they'd get money to downsize the city I was thinking more along the lines of some burned out residential neighborhoods, not things like this. These are the kinds of places we should be redirecting people to as we downsize the city to preserve what we have left.

[Cliff Clavin]

Although not much to look at from the outside, Boston's Gaiety Theatre was certainly a loss to the city. Considering what stands in it's place is a hole taking up a 1/4 of a city block.

gaiety_home

[Greatwoods]

Boston City Hall is ugly but it would be a waste of money to tear it down. Also, I remember there was some concern that the South Boston waterfront wasn't as accessable as the current location. I haven't lived there in a while so I could be wrong.

Speaking of Boston, the old West End should have never been torn down. I know it was a neighborhood and not a specific building, but the same principle holds true.

[JMT]

Great thread! But reading that article almost made me cry.

[Go Ne]

Omaha made the Mistake of demolishing the Jobbers Canyon district in 1989, 24 National Historic buildings,



to be replaced by this CRAP in our downtown for pity's sake!