Both the Ettrick Building on the corner of Euclid & Forest Park Boulevard and the Shoenberg Nurses Residence on Forest Park west of the Ettrick are proposed for demolition on this months Preservation Board agenda for Monday, July 27th. This does not come as a surprise, as I posted last year, BJC had the Board of Alderman pass an ordinance for a new Community Unit Plan, which outlines their wishes for expansion over the next 10 years. This included maps showing locations of new construction and demolitions.
The Unit Plan states that the Ettrick is to be replaced with a new building to house expanded resident clinic facilities, of approximately 200,000 square feet and structured for vertical expansion. The Preservation Board agenda states that the buildings would be demolished for "a multi story Ambulatory Care Clinic and retail space w/ connecting bridge. It remains to be seen what the new structure would look like.
As I mentioned in my previous post, the retail spaces at the Ettrick were added at a later date and create an awkward moat situation along Euclid which compramizes the sidewalk area. I the Ettrick is a beautiful building, but because of the situation pictured above, I will be reserving my judgement until I see the new building design. An additional 3 story building just to the north of the Ettrick is also called out for demolition and replacement as part of this proposal. This building has no retail spaces opening onto Euclid due to a similar half exposed basement as the Ettrick. The building is listed as being built in 1905, but was covered at some time by a permastone like material, then again in the 1980's with an EIFS system with a weak Post Modern design.
Farther west on Forest Park, just east of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church, what is now called the Shoenberg Research Building was shown on the Unit Plan to be demolished for an expansion of the large North Garage just to the east. The buildings original use is inscribed in stone "Shoenberg Nurses Residence" over the entrance.
About time...the original plan was to have demolition start last fall. The Ettrick is a nice looking building, but what we gain will more than make up for it.
ReplyDeleteDo you know if construction is to begin immediately after demolition? My biggest fear is that they pull a "Doctors Building" or "Skyhouse" style demo, leaving a vacant lot for months or more. I have faith that Wash. U. Med Center has its shit together though.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this development will spell the end for the '70s-era aqua EUCLID posts. They are almost deserving of historic designation by themselves!
^^ how do you know the new structure will "more than make up for" the loss of the Ettrick? have you seen a design?
ReplyDeleteis there any chance that WU/BJC might be persuaded to at least incorporate some of the old facades into the new structures (not just these 2 but any of the other 10 slated for demo as well)?
as wonderfully functional as the new buildings may be, their exteriors will not hold candles to many of the old ones in terms of detail, texture, craft, etc.
i've seen that Wash. U. (at least) is capable of constructing attractive new buildings (e.g. the new engineering complex). the new BioMed 21 building, however, is not attractive IMO. it's another big steel and glass box with very little attention to external detail.
ugh... the historic CWE is slowly becoming DT atlanta (no offense to atlanta - just not my preferred aesthetic.)
Adam
Has anyone ever used D.H. Griffin for Demolition, construction, or site development?
ReplyDeleteFABULOUS article! Keep up the good work.
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