great timing Ralph - I really needed the chuckles. thanks,


Eric Hammarberg
Associate Director of Preservation
Associate
LZA Technology
641 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10011-2014
Telephone: 917.661.8160 (Direct)
Mobile: 917.439.3537
Fax: 917.661.8161 (Direct)
email:  [log in to unmask]



-----Original Message-----
From: Ralph Walter [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2002 12:36 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: "Historic factory" now being demolished


In a message dated 12/12/2002 10:58:10 AM Eastern Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:



You got that right Ralph...Always a pleasure to hear from you Eric, even
when your phone no hasn't changed.

It seams to me that the developers "should have" looked into adaptive reuse
of the building. Sure they looked into it.  It was no good.Would the
original have been able to accommodate thenecessary square footage?Nah. I
know these megastores don't like multi-levels and really want large
column-free floors typical to pre-engineered bldgs but they "should have"
been forced to at least consider this given the urban insertion of this
complex. Of course they considered it. My guess is that they would have
walked away from the site and neighborhood. (I will keep my overt opinions
about these stores to myself.) Personally, I can't stand Home Depot, but
then again, they were very handy at 9 PM one Christmas (or was it New
Years?) Eve a couple of years back when I needed a new bathroom vanity and
sink top (this is for real) and it was snowy as hell, and NOBODY was in the
store but me and their highly knowledgable and dedicated staff.

Did the developers comply with all other City and State requirements when
they took over the site and designed/built this, such as review and comment
by local boards, city planning, etc? Certainly.  All appropriate campaign
contributions had been made while Mr. Architect was off in Frogland learning
about the histo presto shit he didn't know when he filled out the forms to
nominate the bldg (nestled up there in East Harlem among the farmhouses) to
the Nat and State Registers.





Why was the nomination rejected?



Because people are assholes, and not just the ones from New Jersey.  What do
you want from me?

The bad part is, no doubt the Washburn Wire Warehouse is a much nicer old
bldg than an ugly new Home Depot, and no doubt everybody involved is
stepping on his own dick as well as everybody elses'.

James J. Shakespeare


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