Back in November 1971, Lorain was in the process of planning the demolition of 55 buildings. The article above provides a detailed inventory of the parcels that needed to be acquired, and the buildings that needed to come down. It’s fascinating to read the list and be reminded of what was eventually lost. I had been in many of the buildings and remember them well.
As the article points out, many buildings really weren’t in that bad a shape, and it was a shame that they had to be demolished. But as the article notes in the opening paragraph, “The idea behind urban renewal in Downtown Lorain is to get together large chunks of cheap land which will tempt private developers to come in and rejuvenate the area.”
Lorain was actually pretty lucky (unlike Huron) that only a relatively small portion of its historic downtown was destroyed. While a few landmarks were lost, there is still of lot of character in what buildings remain. And with the streetscape improvements made in the last few years, the Downtown has never looked better.
I hate to be a negative Nelly but downtown Lorain doesn't meet my criteria of a viable city, urban renewal or not. While you may be right that, thanks to millions of dollars, lorain perhaps never looked better, what is missing in your "now" photos? There a very few cars and people. When i occasionally drive down Broadway I often think you could shoot a cannon down the length of the street and not hit anyone. People used to say that Midway Mall killed downtown Lorain, but the mall is now as dead as Lorain. Unfortunately, brick and mortar store shopping is largely a thing of the past. Crocker Park is the exception, but it is central to a booming and affluent population and going there is an event. It takes a special event, such as "Rocking on the River" to draw people to Lorain, and even then very few venture into downtown. For those of us who remember the old days, when it was hard to find a parking place downtown, it is a sad situation.
ReplyDeleteWhat he said.
ReplyDeleteWhat they said, but I would disagree with brick and mortar being a thing of the past. Brick and mortar is alive and well in the booming areas of the country. As mentioned above, Crocker Park does well. Strongsville Mall is a fantastic place to go shopping if you are feeling like seeing an actual mall with large crowds daily. Location, Location, Location
ReplyDeleteI've always felt that it was a missed opportunity to not try and get the old Heilman's reopened as a restaurant. Even as bad as things got downtown, the location right on the Loop might have helped a great deal.
ReplyDeleteCrocker Park . . . or Cracker Park as we in Cleveland call it, a nod to its homogeneous, less diverse make up.
ReplyDeleteThe new Lorain "Broadway" signs are a little too late if you ask me.I mean what is there on Broadway now?Lorain should have had signs like that back in the 1940s-1950s.The one sign that goes over Broadway reminds me a little of Reno,Nevada's "Biggest Little City in The World" sign.But then again it goes back to,what is there to see on Broadway now?All there is is a couple of banks,a pizza shop and the recently renovated Ariel Hotel.I hope the hotel can make it but I don't see how it can.Unless the developers can get some free government grants to stay afloat.The mall was the start of the downfall of downtown Lorain.And now that the mall is a dead mall it's not going to come back to Lorain.It's ironic that one of the by-products of "urban renewal" was that cities wanted to get rid of the signage that decorated businesses and storefronts.They thought all the fancy designs and neon were too gaudy and outdated.Well here it is some 50 odd years later and Lorain puts up a huge sign advertising Broadway.Only thing is,50 years later there is nothing to see.
ReplyDeleteNever looked better? Um, no.
ReplyDeleteBy commenting that “the Downtown has never looked better,” I meant in recent years. I was trying to acknowledge the ongoing efforts and hard work of the people and organizations who are trying to improve things. It’s a great groundwork; now, we need entrepreneurs and business people to step up and invest, whether it is opening full-service restaurants or whatever.
ReplyDeleteDo I approve of what Urban Renewal accomplished? Of course not. I hate the fact that all those buildings are gone. I’m old enough to remember how it was in the mid-60s, when we went Downtown to shop, to go the dentist, to take trumpet lessons, etc. And those were the declining years. My parents told me about the 1940s and 50s when the sidewalks were so crowded you could barely make your way along on a Saturday night. I realize those days are gone and they’re not coming back – ever.
But there is an effort to make things better, even if I don’t approve of some of the events or tactics. I make fun of Fire Fish every year, but if families like it and it brings them Downtown, then what I think of it is irrelevant. I don’t go to the rock concerts either but it sure is nice to see people down at the river having a good time.