We are fortunate to have among us two photographers for whom Dallas provides endless opportunities: Justin Terveen, who captures, among other things, our few landmark buildings that still stand; and Scott Dorn, who's become something of a crime-scene photographer, snapping photos of historic structures as they're reduced to rubble. Dorn was on the scene over the weekend as the bulldozers attacked the former McKinney Avenue Baptist Church, razing the structure in order to replace it with Brett Landes' proposed 15-story luxury apartment building. Dorn's Flickr page is full of photos of the building's farewell.
Late last night, Dorn sent us a few photos to run on Unfair Park; below you'll find a portrait of Rose, former owner of the Wrecking Bar and a vision in fur standing in front of debris and chain link. But first, Dorn explained in the comments section yesterday what drew him to the site this weekend.
Wrote Dorn, who works during the day at Wolf Camera & Video on Forest Lane in northwest Dallas, "I photographed this demo as reminder of what we lost. It is shame how people care little of our past, but the photo also show how it was built. I also wanted a brick. Most importantly [I wanted] to show how we let another [one] slip away."
For non-believers, here you will find a lengthy argument about whether or not the 100-year-old building was "significant" enough to preserve. --Robert Wilonsky
What is the market for 15-story apartment towers? Apparently some are on hold - will we have another Esquire Theater debacle where nothing will ever be put on the property after it was bulldozed with alacrity?
Even worse, maybe we'll get yet another Frisco-facade bank or drugstore.
Shame on Mr. Landes. If you couldn't make the building work economically, why didn't you donate or sell it at cost to some group which would preserve it? People like you need to do your dirty work up in Frisclosure.
Posted at: January 22, 2008 3:24 PM