When I travel, one of my favorite things is to explore neighborhoods and their architecture, from the mundane to the sublime. In Riga, Latvia, for example, I followed the excellent advice to “Look up,” discovering the beautiful Art Nouveau designs that decorate many of the city’s facades. But I equally love to stroll the streets of Longmont or Old Colorado City that are dotted with colorfully painted Victorians.
So you may think that I support all these landmark status applications across town for buildings slated for demolition.
In fact, I’m torn. National Register buildings are an incredible resource, an intimate way of exploring the past. I love house museums for this very reason. They allow the visitor to inhabit an era.
Take the 1879 Avery House in Fort Collins, a stunning sandstone structure. Through the story of a family, one discovers the larger story of pioneers in Northern Colorado.
But landmark status is a double-edged sword. The past is preserved, but sometimes to the detriment of the present and future. I learned this in Zurich, where the late 19th-century Moorish synagogue was landmarked, tying the congregation to the building’s downtown location, even though the community had long moved to residential neighborhoods out of walking distance. The result was a skeleton minyan in the beautiful building, and a bustling one in an uninspiring office space.
As important as aesthetic appeal and historic value may be, how do they weigh up against the future?
In Denver, one of the current landmark status applications is threatening the viability of an important news organization. I think that a solid journalism enterprise (7News) is far more valuable to society than the relatively ugly tower at 9th and Speer, Brutalist though it may be.
In Denver, any citizen can file a landmark status application. These applicants will not have to pay the massive costs to keep Carmen Court inhabitable, nor will they supplement the Social Security benefit of the owner of Tom’s Diner. Yet, they can potentially have a financially ruinous effect on these owners’ lives.
The city took an important step by establishing a review committee. But it can go further. What about tasking Colorado Preservation, Inc. with determining every type of architectural structure found in Denver. Then, from among these types, the city could purchase one example and transform it into a museum or site. That way, home and business owners won’t feel under threat when they decide to sell their property, plus the city would gain valuable cultural resources.
It could be a win-win.
Shana Goldberg may be reached at shana@ijn.com.
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