Historic Preservation of our city structures is important for the health of our community. Just a few years ago the area to the west of Rt. 11 near Bruce St. was dark, abandoned, and had frequent graffiti outbreaks.
Then Matchbox Properties renovated the building along west Bruce St. that started a revitalization. Then the Ice House came back to life with JMU, restaurants, store, and offices moving in. Finally our building, The Depot, was renovated. Now this corner of downtown is vibrant, landscaped, and active on a daily basis. This is an example of how you can use existing buildings to activate a space.
The Denton Building on court square is another landmark that has been saved and brings life to downtown.
I believe Harrisonburg made a mistake as a community when multiple buildings in downtown were demolished to build the courts building and jail. This was an active business community at the time and if those buildings existed today would not only be providing tax revenue for our city budget, but would also create a place for business to thrive. The courts and jail complex buildings are specifically designed to reduce activity on the street outside of them, closing off their walls due to their function.
I am not against taking down all buildings. Some buildings do not meet the standard of historic and do not add to the historical fabric of our place. There should be a community conversation about which buildings are important to save and which buildings could be replaced for a higher and better use before any building is taken down.
