Author's note: much of the post was initially written shortly after the fire, and put on hold as I didn't have time to finish the article. Since then, the city has said they will not initiate demolition, and the post has been edited to reflect that change.
On April 16, 2015 a fire broke out on the 800 block of West Broadway, rendering much of the block uninhabitable and unusable at least for the time being. There are a number of things that cause serious concern here. First and foremost, I am glad that no lives were lost and that no serious injuries were sustained. I hope that the businesses and organizations affected, like Brix Meats and Neighborhoods Organizing for Change, will be made whole again. I mourn the loss of history within these buildings--even if they are restored there will be some aspects that cannot be completely reconstructed.
More to the point, however, I am saddened at the potential loss of what these buildings could be restored to. Properly restored historic storefronts along West Broadway remains the best way to naturally grow our business corridor through small incubator projects. One of the principal reasons, demolition aside, that I had a negative reaction to the Satori development was because it took that kind of organic, grassroots development off the table and made everyone focus on the new bright and shiny toy in the room. More on that later.
After the initial shock wore away, what lingers for me is a mystified reaction as to why people were so quick to...
