Money changes everything

(song, title by The Brains--ex-DC)

Nicole Brodeur writes in "Money trumps history," from the Seattle Times about a preservation review board in Pioneer Square allowing condos to be built on top of a historic building. From the article:

Weaver recalled a time in the early 70s, when Pioneer Square was threatened by urban renewal. It was spared by preservationists, he said, "But we've tended to rest on our laurels since then."

I don't have a problem with updating what time has let fall behind. But I also have felt regret for things lost in the name of newer and better.

Preservation Board member Sara Jane Bellanca isn't worried. She moved to Pioneer Square 20 years ago. "But we are a neighborhood in name only," Bellanca said. "We don't have any clout with the city because we don't have the residents to make it so."

I think this is interesting because it supports a thesis that I have, that Downtown was allowed for the most part to be destroyed because the preservation movement in DC moved away from a focus on Downtown and city-wide issues to focus mostly on individual neighborhoods.

More from the article:

But while we're all together in celebrating Pike Place Market's centennial, let's not forget that there were people who, not long ago, were pushing to turn it to condos. Preservationists prevailed, and now we show off the Market like Our Son the Doctor who struggled with life for years but is now a viable, working member of the community, keeping Seattle alive, well and unique.

Historic neighborhoods take time and the wisdom of years to develop. Let's be sure we use the same to preserve them.

Think about that when you read about proposals to change, really eradicate, the Florida Market in northeast DC.