Surfergeeks

I just love this city…

But, you’re not gonna believe this…for once the city is doing the right thing. (well, at least I think so).

For those that know London you know that we just spent millions and millions of dollars on our downtown core. We’ve got the JLC – a premiere arena that is selling more tickets than many larger arenas around North America and the World. We’ve also just relocated the central library from its asbestos filled, antiquated old building to its completely renovated and re-designed home it what was once the only shopping mall in the downtown core. One of the local real-estate developers is in the process of building two residential towers that will bring more people living downtown. This is the key. For a downtown (or at least OUR downtown) to be successful it has to have people living there. We’ve built the amenities, now we just have to wait for the people to come.

To further this, the city is encouraging development of new places to live in the downtown area. Well, obviously, there really isn’t much open space left downtown. Yes, there are some parking lots – but people do need to park too…

In yesterday’s Free Press a story ran about how there’s going to be a new apartment built downtown. To do this will require the demolition of 3 buildings. This building will overlook Eldon House – a historically significant part of London’s heritage, as well as the mighty (*pfft, snicker*) Thames. It’s not going to be a cheap place to live. The article made mention of $1200/month for a two-bedroom. I haven’t seen any drawings or plans, but you can bet your ass that it’s going to be nice.

Anyhoo…today’s Free Press has a story about how the “London Advisory Committee on Heritage”, a bunch of architects with seemingly far too much time on their hands, is opposed to the demolition of these three houses. These buildings do not have heritage status but are listed as “priority two” on the city’s inventory of heritage resources – whatever the hell that means. George Goodlet, the committee chair, says that while he supports downtown renewal he believes that there is vacant land to do it in. Hmm…let’s think about this a minute or so here Georgie-boy: If you were thinking of plopping down 1200 smack-a-roos a month where would rather live – a kickass, modern, luxourious apartment overlooking a beautifully landscaped mansion, a park, and our namesake river; or a kickass, modern, luxourious apartment that overlooks the rooftops of some beatup, ancient business in the core area because the only vacant land IS the parking lots around the older core buildings? (whew-talk about run-on sentences) Oh yeah – sorry people on the first three floors – you just get to look into the windows of the people already living downtown above the mainfloor businesses.

George, and the rest of the LACH – give your collective head a shake. You, as architects, should understand location.

As I mentioned above, for once I’m siding with the city here. Coun. Cheryl Miller seems to have summed up the situation beautifully. From the Free Press:

Well said Cheryl! Good God, next I’ll be agreeing with Coun. Susan Eagle…nah…