Divine Lorraine: Terrible news

[pman]

Originally Posted by phillies2011

I feel like people often forget that as neglected as the Divine Loraine looks today, it was still in use barely over a decade ago and it only fell into disrepair less than 10 years ago.

Granted a lot of damage can take place over the course of ten years of neglect but buildings that have been empty A LOT longer than that have been successfully restored.

I think it is without a question salvageable now, and CERTAINLY was before the fire. The big question though isn't whether or not it CAN be salvaged but rather whether or not doing so is cost effective as without some sort of public funding no one is going to sink money into this place to fix it all up if they won't recoup that investment once they are finished.

it was in pretty good shape until the current owners took over

[Marius Pontmercy]

The problem is that taking public money is probably going to mean putting something really stupid into the project. The plan to combine three local magnet schools on the site is probably the best use anyone's come up with that would satisfy that requirement. Otherwise it's just Clarke asking for more low income housing.

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by Marius Pontmercy

The problem is that taking public money is probably going to mean putting something really stupid into the project. The plan to combine three local magnet schools on the site is probably the best use anyone's come up with that would satisfy that requirement. Otherwise it's just Clarke asking for more low income housing.

The plan from Blumenfeld is to not combine the schools but to rebuild the 3 (errr 4?) schools on the giant vacant parcel of land behind the Divine Lorraine. The schools would be separate from each other but have a shared campus, cafeteria and gymnasium. The old schools will be demolished or redeveloped.

The Divine Lorraine itself will be turned into a museum and learning center with options for some subsidized housing and market rate housing mixed in on the upper floors.

[bryson662001]

Originally Posted by phillies2011

The big question though isn't whether or not it CAN be salvaged but rather whether or not doing so is cost effective as without some sort of public funding no one is going to sink money into this place to fix it all up if they won't recoup that investment once they are finished.

Exactly. Physically salvageable maybe but not economically salvageable.

[RightonWalnut]

Originally Posted by bryson662001

Exactly. Physically salvageable maybe but not economically salvageable.

As long as we don't have the 60's-70's mentality of **** it, let's bull doze over it and pave a parking lot over it and they actually try then I will be happy.