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2 ghost houses gone on 25th Street
03/23/2006 4:13 PM by John M
The 900 block of 25th Street, home to Sunny Supermarket and the mystery rainbow building, saw 2 empty houses demolished recently.
The former site of the oddly beautiful monochrome cube at 910 North 25th Street and another house at 916 North 25th are now cleared lots. The structure at 910 North 25th Street dated from 1855-1856.
910 North 25th Street (1965) [via]
910 North 25th Street (Sept.2005)
910 North 25th Street (March 2006)
What is the official reason given, if any, for razing these structures? As a newcomer to Richmond, I watch the development without a sense of its impact on the community at large. I hear that “revitalization” is good for all, but what is the consensus of readers of this blog, as people living here, not investing huge sums from across town? Is this gentrification?
The official line is “rebuilding neighborhoods”. That block of 25th is part of an area designated a Neighborhood in Bloom. This provides tax incentives to restore houses in the area and also I think to build new construction housing.
One of the groups doing both of these is the better Housing Coalition. BHC has restored houses on the 1100 blocks of 22nd and 23rd, and has built new houses on the 1000 and 1100 block of 22nd and the 1100 and 1200 blocks of 24th Street. They are also building new houses on Q Street between 22nd and 23rd, on lots that have been empty for years, and on one lot that was until recently occupied by a boarded-up cinderblock apartment complex.
What allows specific properties to be pushed over, I think, is a combination of frustration with long-term blight and an assessment of whether it would be more cost effective to restore or completely rebuild.
For the most part, I’m keen on the idea of ‘filling the gaps’ in the neighborhood. I love the old houses and am restoring one myself. I love the empty houses, which is why I have that middle photo above. I also really appreciate the difference in having new home owners in the area.
There have been some real losses, though. The pace of demolition has been rapid over the past few years, and I don’t think that enough people know what we are losing.
There are many houses in our area that have needed to be demolished for years. Funds were always named as the primary problem. I guess they have found money recently. The red house needed to go (I don’t know if anyone has been inside but I have) but the other should have been saved. While I don’t agree with vacant lots and new construction when the old could have been save, I do agree with getting rid of “problem” places.
Sure, get rid of problem places, but fix up HISTORIC places. We are losing a lot of antebellum houses that could have been renovated than demolished. It makes my head spin with the rate our historic fabric is disappearing only to be replaced by something with no soul or value IF replaced at all. I’m glad someone got pics of at least one of them because they got to them before I did and that seems to be happening way too much.
Pretty soon the only historic places in Richmond are going to be brick structures in Church Hill proper and the Fan. Those are the only two areas that the city about or can’t run wild demolishing given their historic district status. Anything else can be thrown away even if they’re as or more historic.