Years ago, when I saw this post card image for the first time, I was thrilled to realize that I was looking at the lost block of Warren Street--the south side of the block between Front and First streets. With the exception of the building at the corner of Warren and Front, this entire block was demolished in the early 1970s to make way for a "shopping mall" that proved the fallacy of the assumption, "If you build it, they will come." To my knowledge, there never were stores in the building that's there now, which is now used by COARC. I recall hearing that the buildings on this block were in such terrible condition that they were beyond repair. Just today, in the History Room of the library, I discovered this picture of the block, which appeared in the Register-Star on July 31, 1973, shortly before the buildings were razed. Looking at the buildings, I was reminded of Roberta Gratz's assertion in her latest book, The Battle for Gotham, that the blighted condition of buildings and neighborhoods to be cleared for Urban Renewal projects was usually exaggerated.
The section of the block shown in the two pictures is a little different. The first building on the right in the 19th-century picture appears in the center of the 1973 picture.
Not quite comparable, but there will be similar stories about the "crumbling" Bliss Towers when that is torn down....
ReplyDeleteAgain, your blog contains incorrect information. The strip mall on the lower end of Warren Street was constructed so that a super market would be available to city residents in that portion of Hudson. The supermarket was run by a man name Rudy Veruto and didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteIt's a shame, quite a historic loss. When I bought my building the inspector told me that 50% of it was a tear down - beyond repair. I fixed it up quite nicely. Most buildings, even severely dilapidated ones can be restored, but only if someone is willing to do the work.
ReplyDeleteNo way the Bliss Towers can be compared to this loss and surely no one will mourn it's passing. The Bliss Towers should never have been built, it is a relic of a well intended but misguided social policy. The building itself is totally out of scale and character for the town. "Low income warehouse" buildings like this are being demolished all over the country, they are like giant sardine cans into which we pack the poor.
It would be much better to house the residents in regular homes of that there are aplenty right now. A great replacement for this site would be a very large community pool that could serve all the residents of Hudson, rich and poor, black and white. This would be something that could bring people together while the tower serves only to isolate and fragment the community.
The developer of the strip mall was Howard Goldstock, of Schenectady. He was also co-owner, along with his brother of Goldstock's Sporting Goods, located in Schenectady. He ran into financial trouble and never completed the project. In fact, he just walked away. He did not start this project to provide a supermarket as Sam's Supermarket was thriving at the time.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the clarification, Schlock. I've never spoken with anyone who was around in the 1970s who said that there were ever actually stores in this "shopping center." The planning materials say nothing about a supermarket either. But, as Louis Monkey-Pest pointed out, someone named Rudy Veruto was involved. The caption below the 1973 photo in the Register-Star says: "This area on the south side of Warren St. between 1st St. and Wardle's Drug Store will become a shopping center of two large stores, five small stores and parking. Rudy Veruto, named preferred sponsor, is working on financial and construction plans."
ReplyDeleteI not positive, but I think Rudy Veruto was the contractor that constructed the building. Goldstock put up the money. I have checked with friends who were also around and active in the 70's and all remember the building vacant until CHP or some other medical facility occupied it. They occupied it until COARC moved in. I think Goldstock might have been negotiating with Sam Miller to relocate there once completed, but you would have to contact Hy Miller to verify. Keep up the good work.
ReplyDeleteIn 1973 Sam's Supermarket was located at the corner of 4th and Warren, currently occupied by Face Stockholm. They relocated to their last location sometime in the 80's. Before that there was a Grand Union at that location.
ReplyDeleteIn the end its less about Saving Bliss and more about saving whats left of the 2nd Ward. Because demolishing Bliss means demolishing a lot more than just Bliss.
ReplyDeleteBuilding new low-rise projects won't resolve anything but the wards future as a public housing slum. Problems with the scale of Bliss doesn't change how the poor are "sardined" into the 2nd Ward, whether vertically or horizontally. And in the process we'll lose the last buildings worth saving in the 2nd Ward. If we can think outside of our prejudices against hi-rises we can realize what is at stake, and what we stand to lose.