Going, going, gone . . . ?

The bulldozers are set to roll, but a local historic preservation group is making a last-ditch attempt to save the historic Fidelity Title building at 221 N. Market. Greg Kite says his group recently offered the Wichita Bar Association $240,000 for the building — three times what the association paid for it just a few years ago. The preservationists even secured $500,000 for renovation. But the association, which earlier hinted it might consider just such an extravagant offer, now says forget it. Not interested. The Wichita Bar Association gains eight parking spaces, and Wichita loses a piece of its history and architectural heritage. What a deal.
P.S. Last month the association actually presented special President’s Awards to the legal defense team for their work in paving the way for the Fidelity demolition. Let’s hear it for their community spirit.
Posted by Randy Scholfield

9 Comments

  1. J J
    Posted July 23, 2005 at 3:15 am | Permalink

    Who knows or remembers this ‘historical’ building? Who cares? Sell it to that Michelle chick that bought the BTK house.

  2. Joe Williams
    Posted July 23, 2005 at 4:52 pm | Permalink

    Sometimes we glorfy too much of the past or try to romatize it. Sometimes its good to rebuild and move on.

  3. Steve Otto
    Posted July 23, 2005 at 11:49 pm | Permalink

    They tear everything down around here. Old buildings, fields, and wildlife is gone from here. Anyone remember jackrabbits?

  4. Anon
    Posted July 24, 2005 at 5:18 am | Permalink

    It’s an old useless building. It’s time to quit clinging to the old and all progress to proceed.

  5. Dale Churchman
    Posted July 24, 2005 at 7:27 am | Permalink

    Welcome tourists. Come to downtown Wichita and see the asphalt parking lots! Progress in action. Phooey on heritage, architecture and “useless old buildings.” While we are at it, let’s tear down the old City Hall, old Court House, the Castle, Occidental Hotel, Carnegie Library and Allen House. They are old too.

  6. Steve Otto
    Posted July 24, 2005 at 12:35 pm | Permalink

    I can’t believe how little this place cares about its heritage. I teach history and it’s no wonder the kids say “When will I use this?” Not here in Kansas. Forget the past – throw away your heritage. Look forward and never backward. Why remember the past at all. We can’t learn anything from it can we? Nothing important ever happened in Kansas did it? Tunnel vision anyone?

  7. Sean
    Posted July 25, 2005 at 2:35 am | Permalink

    It’s not just the building, it is the city’s history, as noted. William G. Malone, former president of the now defunct Fidelity Title Co. and son of the founder, is among a handful who know more about the city’s past than anyone else. (Mr. Malone, himself, is living history, having worked hard to promote the city’s welfare, such as the county zoo.) The building is on the site of a former livery stable, the borderline of the old city. Some cities have wiped out historical buildings to put up concrete blocks while others have used older buildings as framed facades for newer ones, providing relief from the concrete. Perhaps the infamous Minnesota group would be interested in such a project. But of course, the Bar refuses to sell.

  8. J. Nance
    Posted July 25, 2005 at 12:48 pm | Permalink

    When my family travels to different cities, we search out the historical buildings and neighborhoods. To us, history is visible right before our eyes in the architecture. We marvel at the labor and sweat of the workers and families to create monuments with such vision. If one would just take a few moments to truely appreciate how historical buildings were built, not with mighty machines but with the sweat and muscle of man and beast perhaps society would appreciate the role many historic buildings play in perserving the dreams and ambitions of our forefathers. Perhaps you lovers of tearing down the old should try to build a structure as it was built a hundred years ago. Maybe then you wouldn’t be in such a hurry to destroy these buildings so that they can be replaced by asphalt.

  9. BizSnype
    Posted July 25, 2005 at 1:49 pm | Permalink

    Face it, we live in a disposable society. And it will just become worse in the next 50 years. Our current construction standards are so lax that nothing being built today will stand the test of time 100 years from now.

    This is one reason why I enjoy travelling to Europe so much. There are millions of buildings still standing in Europe, despite the two World Wars that have been there for hundreds of years.

    You can’t walk down a street in London without finding a historical marker on a building indicating that some historical figure such as Benjamin Disraeli (”You don’t even know who I am…) had an office there.

    The Champs d’ Elysee in Paris still houses several buildings which are hundreds of years old. They’ve been updated and the city has even managed to add parking garages underneath them as well as Metro lines. All without tearing down a single building.

    What do we do? We raze everything in site (Allis Hotel) and lay down asphalt.

    Congratulation Wichita Bar Assoc. You’ve removed any doubt as to your true character.