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Old 07-13-2010, 04:22 PM
 
239 posts, read 757,038 times
Reputation: 137

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Quote:
Originally Posted by Billiam View Post
Yes, I would prefer to keep Baltimore's heritage rich instead of becoming a Charlotte or Phoenix.

The rows that simply can not be renovated can go. But those types are somewhat rare. Federal Hill and Patterson Park were once ghetto areas, should we demolish them too?
I think I already answered that question rather clearly. Homes, blocks, and abandoned areas should be demolished and replaced with modern, multi-story (I mean 7-8 story) housing.

I still fail to see how a street filled with boarded up buildings, crumbling in their own rot, and accomplishing nothing but feeding termites=rich heritage.
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Old 07-13-2010, 05:40 PM
 
Location: moving again
4,382 posts, read 16,723,898 times
Reputation: 1676
Alright. You think what you want to but it won't get anything accomplished (luckily)
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Old 07-13-2010, 06:52 PM
 
81 posts, read 175,504 times
Reputation: 47
The Federal hill and Patterson park homes are pretty modest looking, they're unique to Baltimore but are really nothing to look at, they certainly don't compare to the homes I see in Bolton hill, Mt Vernon or even Union Square. *What sets the two neighborhoods apart from others who have similar style is that*Patterson Park has city and park views and Federal hill has city, park, and water views. *In addition both are close to downtown, the inner harbor, and are located near I-95 which makes great selling points. *The area on north Broadway that's full of abandoned houses that have similar style really don't offer these amenities, that's why they suck. *They should be torn down, and maybe someone or the city can use the land to develop something else. *
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:22 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,996,584 times
Reputation: 3668
Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyP View Post
Brick homes do not have an indefinite lifetime. 150 years in the Baltimore humidity. In 2050, you're going to have to rebuild them whether you like it or not.

There's one thread focusing on energy costs, and another that's now about not tearing down old, inefficient houses.

Does no one see the connection? You could put up far more energy efficient housing.
Oh, where do I begin!

For starters, there's nothing more inefficient than tearing down a house to build something new. Think of all the wasted materials that are going to the dump, and all of the new materials have to come from somewhere, too.

Restoration is green and efficient. Disposable things are not.

Energy efficiency can be achieved in the restoration of an older home, but even if you are not interested in insulating your older home, it will still be more efficient to continue using it than going through all the energy and materials necessary to tear down and build new!

Furthermore, Baltimore's old homes will last 150 years, and another 150 years after that if properly restored, but cheap new construction will be lucky to last 50.
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:24 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,996,584 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by DCnative27 View Post
*The area on north Broadway that's full of abandoned houses that have similar style really don't offer these amenities, that's why they suck. *They should be torn down, and maybe someone or the city can use the land to develop something else. *
Faulty argument, because you just said the problem with this area was the lack of amenities in the neighborhood.

If people are willing to build new property there, they are also willing to live there, so why not restore the old homes instead?
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:28 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,996,584 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyP View Post
I think I already answered that question rather clearly. Homes, blocks, and abandoned areas should be demolished and replaced with modern, multi-story (I mean 7-8 story) housing.

I still fail to see how a street filled with boarded up buildings, crumbling in their own rot, and accomplishing nothing but feeding termites=rich heritage.
The problem in areas with excessive blight and abandoned properties is rarely the condition of the buildings -- but the crime and lack of amenities in the neighborhood. That is why people left, and why the houses were abandoned. Blame it on sprawl, white flight, whatever you want to call it. Building new buildings isn't going to change the perception of a bad neighborhood. First, people have to want to live there.
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:31 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,996,584 times
Reputation: 3668
Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyP View Post
Would you really prefer blocks of boarded up, uninhabitable rowhomes over modern, affordable duplexes and apartments?
If there is money to build duplexes, there is more than enough money to restore the homes.

I would prefer blocks of restored rowhomes over blocks of cheap vinyl-sided duplexes. One is preserving the city's history, while the other is wasteful, inefficient, and shameful. The city of Baltimore should not aspire to look like suburbia.

Last edited by PreservationPioneer; 07-14-2010 at 09:42 PM..
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:36 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,996,584 times
Reputation: 3668
Quote:
Originally Posted by DCnative27 View Post
*They love those tiny homes that need so much renovation that you would be better off knocking it down and building something new. *The dillapidated houses are eyesores and Baltimore has blocks and blocks of them. * Tearing them down and starting from scratch would be a better looking selling point to developers than trying to restore the old homes. *(Yeah federal hill and locust point have the same style of homes but they're on the water and are closer to downtown).*


Tiny homes= more efficient, easy and inexpensive to renovate and own.

Knocking down to build something new = wasteful, inefficient, more expensive than restoration of existing homes, and insensitive to Baltimore's historic fabric and integrity.

Creating suburban style homes in the city will never be attractive to people who want to live in the real Baltimore. It will only appeal to people who wish it was Phoenix or Charlotte.
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:38 PM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,996,584 times
Reputation: 3668
Quote:
Originally Posted by KennyP View Post
My point is, you can only restore an old home so much.
How do you figure? You can always fix things that are made out of wood and stone. Not so much when it comes to new things made out of plastic and staples.
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Old 07-14-2010, 09:45 PM
 
Location: moving again
4,382 posts, read 16,723,898 times
Reputation: 1676
Completely agree alleghenyangel! There are many examples of how demolishing the houses and rebuilding new ones does not change the neighborhood, and often those new homes even become derelict.

There are plenty of neighborhoods ripe for renovation in Baltimore, and demolishing what you can't have back would be devastating. Of course, rowhouses that are in structural danger can go, but not if they can easily be saved.
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