LETTERS

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LEARN FROM MISTAKES

In last week’s Guestwork, “Don’t tear down downtown” (Jan. 16), I was very pleased to see a stand being taken in favor of a downtown university presence, but against the wholesale destruction of entire blocks of historical structures and businesses that make up the scale and very fabric of downtown. As a community we have mourned over and over (and over) the loss of the Orpheum Theatre structure, ever since it was demolished in 1965. But time and time again, we demonstrate we still have not learned the lesson. What on earth is it going to take before we finally learn? There are far better and more creative ways to achieve the goal. Douglas Mayol The Cardologist Card Store

RECONSIDER PROPOSAL

Thanks to American Institute of Architects Illinois, Downtown Springfield Heritage Foundation and Landmarks Illinois for a well-reasoned statement of why we should not follow the proposal to tear down a historic segment of our downtown. I don’t know the powers that be that made this original proposal, but I beg them to reconsider.

Many in Springfield have fought over the years for the preservation of individual historic structures. Sometimes the fight has been successful (Iles House) and sometimes not (Lincoln/ Carnegie Library). But this is the mother of all proposals to destroy the fabric of our historic downtown.

Please, please reconsider and come up with an alternative site on undeveloped land (parking lots) in the downtown area, or better yet, choose to reuse the old buildings to provide the space needed to bring the university downtown.

If you need a model, look at Savannah, Georgia, and the Savannah School for Art and Design’s reuse of older structures. Once again, I respectfully beg you to reconsider your proposal. Richard E. Hart Via illinoistimes.com

A TERRIBLE IDEA

This is the most idiotic idea I have ever seen. We have blocks of ugly, empty gravel parking lots that degrade the Capitol complex that could be redeveloped. Instead, some great minds think that we ought to tear down some more of the little heritage remaining in downtown Springfield. Shame on this brain trust making decisions about the future of downtown Springfield. Don Schaefer Via illinoistimes.com

PRESERVE AND PROTECT

Learn to preserve the beautiful buildings that have stood there for decades instead of tearing everything down and replacing it with a modern building that will need replaced by 2050. Stop tearing down history. Pixie Boedecker Via illinoistimes.com