First Posted: 1/30/2015
Dr. Debra McCurdy, as a Lima native and an architect, I have watched with sadness through the years as historic structure after historic structure has been torn down in the name of progress.
These structures have invariably been replaced with cheap buildings having no discernable cultural value.
I would urge you, as a leader of the community, to salvage the historic buildings surrounding the downtown square. Rehabilitate these historic gems, which form an integral part of the urban fabric. I would ask you to save the demolition/new construction scope of work for lots that are already empty or for buildings with no historic value.
I am a proponent of new, exciting architectural projects, so long as one is not wiping out historic, venerable structures. Building renovation/rehabilitation may add to the complexity and cost of a project, however, the dividends come in the legacy you leave for the residents of Lima and in the historic and cultural richness of our town center.
We needn’t scorch the fields and start over to have a thriving, vibrant downtown.
