Saturday, March 31, 2012
An Unveiling
Speaking on Victor Mendolia's @Issue program on WGXC in early March, Tom Swope, executive director for the Galvan Initiatives Foundation, said that work was beginning on three multi-unit buildings that Eric Galloway has been warehousing for several years: 202-204 Warren Street, 260 Warren Street, and 356 Union Street.
In February, the interior of the Brousseau Building (202-204 Warren Street), which Swope said would be restored to its original configuration of six apartments, was completely gutted. Since then, there have been no visible signs of work going on at the building.
The plans for 260 Warren Street include commercial and residential space: commercial space on the ground floor and three apartments--one each on the second and third floors at the front of the building and a duplex apartment at the back of the building. In recent weeks, however, there seem to be no visible signs of work going on at this building either.
It would appear that the activity is now focused on 356 Union Street, which Swope indicated would again be a multi-unit dwelling, although probably divided into fewer apartments than it had been previously. In recent weeks, the building's pinkish siding was removed, revealing the original clapboard.
Five weeks ago, a nearly mature maple was removed from the backyard of the 356 Union Street property. In Mr. Galloway's world that may be an early warning sign of more progress to come.
ReplyDeleteSee Gossips' "Another Tree Downed":
http://www.gossipsofrivertown.blogspot.com/2012/02/another-tree-downed.html
If that tree is replaced at all, 356 Union will likely be replanted with a generic and homogenized "tree," something non-native, fast-spreading and short.
Eventually the city's entire landscape, look, and feel may come to reflect the largesse of the one individual at every turn.
For now, for those who remember particular giant shade trees where today only holes remain in the sky, the depletion of trees by Mr. Galloway feels like the slow, creeping Titanism it is.
For those with no memory, you will be redesigned (as usual) and never know the difference ... not consciously anyway. In Star-Trek-speak, "you will be assimilated."