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May 12, 2015
Day 131: Little Pink Houses for You 'n Me
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Day 131: Little Pink Houses for You 'n Me

 

Early on a recent Sunday morning, a crew of four workmen demolished Meldrim Row to make way for a new police precinct. Preservationist Ramsey Khalidi, owner of the Southern Pine Company, stood on the other side of a chain link safety fence and filmed the process until he just couldn't stand to watch it any more: all that useful, serviceable material going to waste. Then again, the entire process by which these historic buildings has been demolished is a waste. And Ramsey has several questions that deserve to be answered:

  • If the City was obligated by law to maintain Meldrim Row, how were these properties allowed to become derelict so that they could then be torn down?

  • What kind of sweetheart deal does Bob James at Carver Bank have with the City in which he gets to keep $1.2 million and write off $2.4 million in the process?

  • If the buildings couldn't be moved-- as Khalidi proscribed-- why couldn't they be deconstructed and the materials sold off at a profit to the taxpayer instead of demolished?

All of these questions trouble Khalidi. Getting the answers won't be easy. I suppose he'll have to file another Freedom of Information request to get to the bottom of this mess, too.

Meldrim Before and After

 

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May 12, 2015

Day 131: Little Pink Houses for You 'n Me

 

Early on a recent Sunday morning, a crew of four workmen demolished Meldrim Row to make way for a new police precinct. Preservationist Ramsey Khalidi, owner of the Southern Pine Company, stood on the other side of a chain link safety fence and filmed the process until he just couldn't stand to watch it any more: all that useful, serviceable material going to waste. Then again, the entire process by which these historic buildings has been demolished is a waste. And Ramsey has several questions that deserve to be answered:

  • If the City was obligated by law to maintain Meldrim Row, how were these properties allowed to become derelict so that they could then be torn down?

  • What kind of sweetheart deal does Bob James at Carver Bank have with the City in which he gets to keep $1.2 million and write off $2.4 million in the process?

  • If the buildings couldn't be moved-- as Khalidi proscribed-- why couldn't they be deconstructed and the materials sold off at a profit to the taxpayer instead of demolished?

All of these questions trouble Khalidi. Getting the answers won't be easy. I suppose he'll have to file another Freedom of Information request to get to the bottom of this mess, too.

Meldrim Before and After

 

Comments

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