While the movement to preserve historic buildings has widespread support, it also has some sharp critics with well-funded opposition groups springing up in recent years.
Some opponents are linked to the Stand Together Foundation, founded and bankrolled by the Koch family’s conservative philanthropic organization, according to a column in Governing magazine. Many critics see historic preservation as a threat to “precious individual freedoms.”
A Stand Together senior fellow cited some preservation actions to bolster his case: An effort in San Francisco to convert a laundromat into an eight-story apartment building was stalled for eight years while city officials try to determine if the laundromat should be protected. In Denver, preservationists delayed the conversion of a 1960s diner into a new mixed-use retail/residential development.
Other critics, including some academicians, have criticized historic neighborhood preservation as “a stalking horse for gentrification and displacement of impoverished residents,” the column reads. Despite these critiques, the columnist makes a compelling case for preservation.
“Preservation serves the vital purpose of helping people to understand, appreciate and connect with their local history at a time when historical awareness is a missing element in much of America. If preservation has gone too far, it has gone too far in the right direction. We ought to be able to manage it without denigrating the things it has achieved.”
Related Stories
Reconstruction & Renovation | Aug 16, 2016
Community organization celebrating 25 years of safer, healthier homes
Rebuilding Together Metro Chicago’s work engages 3,500 volunteers every year to work on more than 100 repair projects for local residents in need.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Aug 9, 2016
Renascent architecture: Demolished Frank Lloyd Wright structures get new life
The Frank Lloyd Wright Revival Initiative is set to begin its reconstruction efforts with the Banff Pavilion, which was demolished in 1939.
Performing Arts Centers | Jun 16, 2016
Synagogues in Omaha and New York get new lives after intense reconstruction
The Omaha Conservatory of Music gets a new home in a temple. A fire leads to an ambitious rebuild for a NYC synagogue.
Energy Efficiency | Jun 13, 2016
The nation’s largest net zero-plus commercial building retrofit opens in L.A.
The goal of the Net Zero Plus Electrical Training Institute is for this structure to become a model for emergency operations centers for communities.
Sustainability | Jun 8, 2016
New program certifies the performance of existing buildings in the U.S.
BREEAM USA, an offshoot of a program already in place in Europe, aims to ease the point of entry.
Drones | Apr 25, 2016
The Tremco SkyBEAM UAV is the first to be approved by the FAA for nighttime commercial operation
The SkyBEAM UAV is used for identifying energy leaks, rooftop damage, deteriorating façades, and safety issues without requiring scaffolding or cranes.
Adaptive Reuse | Apr 7, 2016
Redevelopment plan announced for Chicago’s historic Cook County Hospital
The century-old, Beaux Arts architecture-inspired hospital will transform into a mixed-use development.
High-rise Construction | Mar 3, 2016
LA's U.S. Bank Tower to build exterior glass slide leading from 70th to 69th floors
The glass slide, part of a $50 million renovation project, will stretch 45 feet along the exterior of the building.
Sponsored | Reconstruction & Renovation | Feb 16, 2016
Historic Building Gets New Life on Campus
The renovation of the historic Tobey Building provided one of the most state-of-the-art HVAC systems in the U.S.
Reconstruction & Renovation | Jan 29, 2016
Understanding the value of physical due diligence
Physical inspections can range widely by discipline, level of detail, and the resulting deliverable, leaving even seasoned industry veterans unsure of when assessments make sense. Wiss, Janney, Elstner’s Ross Smith sheds light on building condition assessments.
