I voted YES on the “compromise” resolution re: the call for a City Council public hearing on the issue of the demolition or the preservation of the vacant J.L. Hudson building with reservation.
I wish to make it crystal clear that I do not believe that there must be a specific project lined up prior to the demolition of the vacant structure. The seminal issue regarding development of the Hudson site is NOT whether there is a plan in advance, but rather whether the structure should be torn down or renovated. Historic preservationists play an important role in our city but should not believe that an abstract commitment to preservation should be the driver for economic development in downtown.