KALB’s Jacob Wallace filed a report yesterday on the efforts of the Alexandria Historic District Preservation Commission to help rejuvenate Bolton Avenue. The report featured an interview with one unidentified woman who believes the project to be “a waste of tax dollars” and then explained — precisely– how Bolton Avenue has struggled during the past forty years.
I strongly disagree that this project is without merit and a waste of money. Bolton Avenue is an important corridor in Alexandria. It provides a buffer between Downtown Alexandria and the Alexandria Garden District. It contains an amazing stock of exceptional art deco structures. And it’s in need of help.
Perhaps it was Interstate 49. Perhaps it was the “mall mentality” that swept through the country in the late 1970s. Regardless of its cause, it’s difficult to deny that this corridor has been plagued with declining property values, crime, drugs, and prostitution.
And maybe there are some people who think this area deserves to suffer and don’t want their tax dollars to be used to effectively support rehabilitation in the area. But turning a blind eye to the problems will only make things worse.
In Alexandria, a little can actually go a long way.
To the best of my knowledge, the HDPC’s efforts have not been expensive and are not only funded by local taxes. Indeed, the Bolton Avenue project actually uses seed money from the National Trust. Last year, they were awarded a grant from the National Trust for this specific project. The attention that the Cotton Brothers Bakery building received was also free; after the Louisiana Trust named the property on its top ten endangered list, a deal was quickly put together to bring this important property back into commerce.
For the most part, rehabilitation (on this scale) can only occur with assistance from foundations, non-profit organizations, and state and federal grants (though the NYT recently featured an article about the efforts of Yale University to improve the infrastructure in New Haven, Connecticut… unfortunately, there aren’t any institutions with a $22 billion endowment in Alexandria).
Check out the link, and if you have any questions about this project, feel free to leave a comment.
CenLamar 
Lamar,
You all act as if placing the Cotton Brothers Building on the Top 10 list is what drew attention to it and “got a deal done quickly.”
Why not actually state the facts? No one and I’ll repeat myself No One was paying any attention to this building which was falling down brick by brick every year until one phone call was made last February. A call stating the current owner had a buyer but that buyer wanted to tear it down unless someone could find someone to purchase it who wouldn’t. People were given time to find a use by the owner, who waited extremely patiently I might add for the right buyer to come along.
Attention was brought to the Historical Commission before Melinda was hired – in fact it was the day she was interviewed. Had it not been for private citizens doing the leg work, this building would be long gone. Yes, the Historial Commission provided the endorsement back in February so that a private group could pursue placing the building on the register. Yes, City officials met with one group as a possible user. I’m sure they met with others. Yes, the City even considered using the building itself for the new bus terminal – I know of that conversation personally.
In the end a team effort is providing a new home for the Red Cross and putting this building back into commerce. It is not the City, it is not the Historical Commission and it is not some Top Ten List. It took private people who could see beyond the collapsed roof and the dust covered floors – people who actually see a bigger picture.
This building, like the revitalization of the old Sears building into the Public Safety Complex, is just another piece in the puzzle. Does it solve the problems of Bolton Avenue? NO! Does it help? Yes. Was it accomplished by the City? Partially, but without the commitment from private enterprise $1 trillion dollars or any amount of money will not make a difference.
If placing an historical site on a Top Ten Endangered List kept the site from being destroyed, protected for infinity and brought it back to “use”, the strip mining near the battlefield at Mansfield would cease. You and I both know that is not going to happen.
Basic community development tells us to look at a community’s downtown. If it is thriving, then the community is healthy. If it is not, then there is certainly trouble in the community. Thriving is defined differently for everyone. It does not mean there has to be 24 hour 7 day per week hustle and bustle. What it does mean is that we shouldn’t have closed up, permanently boarded up buildings. You ought to be able to walk out of a hotel on a weekend and find something to do in the immediate area. There should be evening activities. It doesn’t mean it needs to return to the shopping mecca it once was. It should however, have a purpose and serve that purpose. Right now, our downtown serves a legal and arts purpose and not much else. People have to think about what else they want downtown to serve.
The same would be true for Bolton Avenue or any other major corridor. What purpose, other than routing traffic through the City does it serve?
And why this is totally off topic, just remember you only get one chance to make a first impression. Right now, Bolton Ave serves as a major gateway for some visitors to the City, what impression does it provide? What impression does downtown provide? What impression does Broadway provide? What about South MacArthur? North MacArthur? What about the metal detector you now walk through on your way to the planning office? Yes, that leaves a distinct impression on potential new business owners.
Just a few things for you to ponder.
I’ve always seen the redevelopment of Bolton Ave and Lee St from MacArthur to Masonic as key to the overall successful development of the metro area. It’s ease of access to major roadways (especially the MacArthur/hwy1 interchange as this is the likeliest route if I-14 ever comes to fruition), it’s lower land cost, and the relatively large size of lots along the route make it a much easier redevelopment sell than most of our other projects.
I would personally like to see new construction of entertainment properties augment the historically significant properties worth saving. There is a demand in the region for larger scale nightclubs. These have repeatedly popped up near the back gate of the base, or toward Natchez, or on the outskirts of Natchitoches or Marksville.
We’ve lost many of our popular destinations over the years including some that had great histories of being innovative venues such as Fool’s Gold and the Cotton Gin, and others that had a slightly less than positive history like the Lighthouse and Fantasy (in defense of not sounding too old, I was actually too young to attend most of these when they were open!).
The lack of larger venues leaves a major hole in the area’s nightlife which can’t be properly filled with smaller bars. Bolton however would be an ideal location for development of a “big box” entertainment district. By attracting a variety of venues to a single location central to the city and near to hotels and downtown we could increase the chances of attracting local and semi-local entertainment traffic into our city.
Not to mention, co-locating facilities such as these allow for easier law enforcement, cheaper marketing, and joint efforts. Check out Ybor City — a similar and very successful redevelopment in Tampa, Florida.
That said, there are two major considerations that would have to be addressed for this to happen. First, a method of providing satisfactory separation between the Bolton Corridor and adjacent residential areas. And second, the people of Cenla getting over their stupid “ewww there are black people near there” mentality that keeps them out of Downtown and other areas.
Closing of Cross streets would solve the first problem and would give the opportunity for gateway streets providing access to and showcasing areas such as downtown, the garden district, and others.
ok…bring on the Drew is an evil nutjob comments…. : )
Drew I don’t think you’re “an evil nutjob”, but there is only one real problem with your suggestion of creating “big box” entertainment from yesteryear no matter where we put it. People don’t go out like they did when we packed the Lighthouse, Fantasy and Fool’s Gold. They don’t roam from bar to bar the way people walked back and forth between the Bayview and Cotton Gin.
Nightlife in Alexandria began to change when the drinking age went to 21 and as the next generation came up. Their social scene is more inline with coffee houses and bookstores – more cultural hangouts for some reason. I even noticed the shift occurring on several college campuses where I have been taken courses as a grad student.
GG’s still brings in a good crowd, but not like the Lighthouse did on Wed, or like any of the clubs on Saturday. We don’t have the same population density going clubbing which is why “our” places died.
There are ways to create cool clubs, as has been done downtown with Finnegan’s and 1805 to attract young people and even those in the 30-40 range who still want to go out and have fun. I do believe an area of Bolton could find a way to help fill this niche.
I’ve often thought the old movie theatre could take on the concept of the Prytania in New Orleans – the neighbhorhood movie house, but also show local flicks, art flicks, foreign films, Sundance films, etc. Even show kids only movies or old westerns to attract our seniors with special rates and showings on Saturdays. Movies that our traditional theaters won’t show. At the same time, you could build a “mini Magazine Street” in that block and the next block up towards the Community Center or even down towards the Safety Complex with some neat art shops, retailers, restaurants and bars. By solidifying the middle of the block you can build towards the ends. At the same time, you’re providing services to the neighborhood who right now only have a drug store, a local grocery, and Popeye’s, along with a dollar store type retailer and a few other shops to head off to which all seem to close up at night. Carefully planning can protect the neighborhood, but you must have the neighborhood INVOLVED.
Magazine works because tourists, the neighborhood and people across the Uptown area frequent the shops, restaurants and bars. In order for Bolton to work you’ll need the same.
Bird, I wasn’t intending to be argumentative, and I recognize that you played a role in this deal as well. Kudos.
I was specifically speaking about the push for preservation….
More later….
Bird, from what I remember, the story of the Cotton Brothers building went a little bit like this:
The present owner made it known– both personally and through his representatives– that he was considering demolition. Since the structure is located in a designated historic district, the HDPC became involved and both its members and its executive director, along with the administration, took preventative steps to protect the building. It’s a unique art deco structure with ample opportunities for re-use, and the consensus was that it was well worth saving (and this was taking into account various appraisals and other professional reports). And yes, there was a brief notion of relocating the transfer station there.
Unfortunately, in Alexandria, there is not a whole lot you can do to prevent demolition– even when a structure is located in a historic district and even if it has been designated by the National Registry. However, a designation does make a difference; it signals to the community that the structure has regional if not national significance. It serves to legitimize the re-use and rehabilitation of the building, oftentimes opening the way for the private and/or non-profit sector to secure financing (because the perception changes). Of course, this is not always the case, but it sometimes works. And in this case, no one can deny that it (at least) helped.
By the way, the only reason the building was even considered for the list was because it was imminently threatened with demolition.
You wrote: “In the end a team effort is providing a new home for the Red Cross and putting this building back into commerce. It is not the City, it is not the Historical Commission and it is not some Top Ten List. It took private people who could see beyond the collapsed roof and the dust covered floors – people who actually see a bigger picture.”
So it’s a team effort that only involved the private sector? No offense, but perhaps you should speak with the executive director of the Red Cross. It was certainly a collaborative team effort, but it involved people from both the public and the private sector (and a number of motivated citizens who volunteer their time to work exclusively on preservation).
You wrote:
“If placing an historical site on a Top Ten Endangered List kept the site from being destroyed, protected for infinity and brought it back to “use”, the strip mining near the battlefield at Mansfield would cease. You and I both know that is not going to happen.”
The designation does not automatically save a property. In the case of the Louisiana Trust, the coastal wetlands have always been first on their list (and that doesn’t seem to be getting any better). But it does raise awareness, and it can change the perception. The only reason most people know about Cleco drilling on and near a Civil War battlefield is because of motivated citizens and preservationists who took the time to petition for the designation; it generated immediate statewide attention. Mansfield is up against a multi-billion dollar publicly-traded company. It’s hardly comparable to the Cotton Brothers building. Incidentally, two years ago, Mount Olivet was placed on the top ten most endangered list, and the Diocese immediately took notice and set aside funding for renovations. Sometimes people just need to be reminded.
Drew, I will get back to you tomorrow, but I like many of your ideas.
Lamar –
I did not mean to argue either, I simply wanted some facts placed behind the polyana view that has been painted over saying the building. Months of hard work from the private sector went into determining what to do with this structure to bring it back to commerce, how to finance it, how to make it economically feasible. Months of asking the owner to be patient. Months of delay from various places.
I know what my role in this project was, as does the executive director of the Red Cross.I am certainly NOT trying to to place myself in the limelight, as usual I am accustom to others taking credit. I just don’t think the general public should be given the spin this particular story has taken. The Top Ten List did not save this building. People working together saved this building.
Team did not mean only private it included all of those mentioned. The City. The historical commission AND the private entities. BUT the privates were the ones who saw what could be there. They were the “dreamers” all the way back to February when this began.
What were the other options? A one-stop for indigent services, a minority business development center, including microenterprise incubator, general office space, and a specialized training center are some. Every one of these and more were examined prior to the Red Cross opportunity landing on our doorstep. Every one of these still needs to happen and happen in this particular area of Alexandria. Most of these are not on public entities’ radar because they haven’t considered what we need to grow for the future, they’re still trying to catch up from yesterday.
Bird,
Thank you for clarifying your previous post; I know of numerous people in the public sector who also worked toward this cause, and their work (and the results of their work) should not be discounted.
I take issue with the notion that ONLY the people in the private sector had the “vision” to see what could be there; many of the concepts for re-use were borne out of healthy discussions and collaborative efforts with people in both the private and the public sector. Personally, I know of a number of people in the public sector who have been thinking about re-use possibilities for the building much farther back than February…. but the real impetus came when demolition appeared to be imminently possible (and I don’t see how that can be dismissed). I don’t know anyone who believes the Top Ten list saved the building– just that, at the least, it helped reinforce the perception that the building was valuable and significant not only for Alexandria, but for the entire state.
I also take exception to the notion that the City and other public entities haven’t “haven’t considered what we need to grow.” Perhaps not everyone has the same exact vision of what “we” all need, but during the past year, the City (along with people in other governmental agencies as well as people in the private sector) have worked on a first-of-its-kind medical business incubator (which should be operational in a few months; the economic impact of which could be well over $30 million), a new bus transfer station that better addresses and responds to our transit needs, a comprehensive recreational plan, and many major infrastructural projects that will safe-guard us against the potential collateral damage that unfettered future growth can inflict. We have also begun building up a film industry presence here in Alexandria, and though you may not be able to see it right now, the film industry is definitely taking notice of our region. Ask Mr. Hess, the people at the CVB, and the England Authority about the volume of phone calls they receive from interested producers. And regarding the needs of that particular area, believe me, the city is aware, and action is being taken on several different fronts.
I just don’t understand your perspective; it seems unnecessarily combative. But maybe I am just not understanding your tone. Sometimes, it’s difficult to determine how someone’s voice “sounds” on the Internet.
Perhaps it’s just the way you read it.
Perhaps.
But did I misunderstand the content of your statements?
Cease Fire Gentlemen!
There are certainly many hands involved in local development and as is normally the case when development does not occur the public side of such influence will be blamed for its shortcomings and when development does succeed private parties will be hailed while public contributions will normally be devalued or ignored altogether…such is life.
Now…
This idea of a central entertainment district:
Bird I understand your comments regarding the changing entertainment desires of the population. However I do believe the interest is still there and that this is one of those cases of build it and they will come.
This same idea would probably fail in places like New Orleans as the alternative entertainment options are so great, and of course you have the quarter which is by and large one giant nightclub in itself. But even there clubs like Pop Bar, the Pub, and the uptown bars and pre-hurricane the resurgence of lakefront venues shows that there is a market for such larger clubs.
Lafayette has had good success with this and attract quite a regular crowd from our region. We have the advantage here of a sort of captive audience. There really isn’t much to do in most of Central Louisiana which leaves us with a market where people are willing to travel to the place where the action is.
We can allow that place to be Lafayette, Baton Rouge, or Shreveport. Or, we can attempt to provide a center of local region entertainment here in our own city.
It’s going o be this younger demographic that revitalizes downtown Alexandria if it is to ever happen. Married people with children tend to go home at night — especially in Cenla. You may get some support from them for new restaurants or the occasional play or concert, a new antique store here or there. But the impetus of growth for an urban area such as this is foot traffic and regular drawing of people.
This midcity corridor — Alexandria’s Old West End (sounds like a marketable name for an entertainment district to me : ) provides an opportunity we don’t have in other districts of the city.
Downtown itself (the area between I-49 and the river) is simply not large enough to function as both a medical and government complex and as a home to the things we would need to draw the constant traffic needed to support and sustain development.
West End however is. You have the infrastructure of a wide avenue with decent sidewalks and trees, you have room in the middle of it for a streetcar if that sort of direction was ever desired, you have good infrastructure, direct access to three major roadways, and a lot of empty of under-utilized space.
We have an opportunity with this area just like we have had with other development possibilities in the region to do the job right or to allow for some limited haphazard growth and deem it a success the minute a new source of minimum wage jobs pops up.
Bolton & Lee, from the Macarthur -N Bolton interchange and related service roads, to Masonic Drive near the Zoo, Bringhurst, Athletic facilities, Parks, and Mall provides a single mid-city artery which connects more lodging, entertainment, and tourist attractions than any other street in our community. And unlike MacArthur and the interstate, it connects them in a slower, lower volume, street-level manner that would encourage people to park their cars, walk around, and know Alexandria for more than it’s roads.
The attraction of companies such as Dave & Busters or Jillians (adult and family-oriented super arcades), chain nightclubs such as Graham Central Station, and especially extension of established New Orleans venues like tipitinas is possible, but it would involve a planned process of active redevelopment that starts with what we have, looks at what we need, and sticks to the realitiy of what is possible in the end.
We’ll probably never have a Hard Rock or a House of Blues, but we are about to suddenly find ourselves as a city in the middle of 3 of the largest casino resorts in the state (Marksville, Kinder, and Creola). We have a local college student population both here in town and within a short drive. We have a military base with a young demographic that loves to get out of Leesville. And, we have really nice roads that connect us to every town and city around here.
I just wanted to bump this thread back up.
I must say, now that I have driven around and really considered the problems and possibilities associated with the Bolton-Lee corridor, I am convinced that not only is redevelopment of this particular area a good idea, but that it is in fact key to all other area development projects.
In particular, the reemergence of the garden district and the viability of downtown actually will only be possibly with Bolton-Lee.
We need to get some activity going on this issue.
–drew
Drew, you’re absolutely right. We need to develop a consistent strategy of tackling this area in clusters, while, at the same time, ensuring as little displacement as possible.
It’s probably not a bad idea to at least consider zoning changes in parts of the area. Here’s the main problem:
Much of the area that abuts I-49 is SF-2, but it’s become blighted, in part, due to the impact of I-49 (i.e. dead-ending a number of streets). This major “catalytic” project was good for the entire City, but it negatively impacted the historic neighborhoods nearby. Most people don’t want to live directly next to a railroad and a major interstate highway. Perhaps opening up the area to mixed-use developments would ameliorate this. There’s a ton of vacant land nearby that could be better suited for business/commercial use. But we must always ensure that we PRESERVE everything that we can. There are 100 year old homes in that area that have fallen into disrepair. I hope we can reject the tear-it-down mentality that has plagued this City for so long and come up with rational re-use solutions.