(08-06-2013 04:22 PM)salukiblue Wrote:  

(08-06-2013 01:23 PM)21-17 Best Time I Ever Ha Wrote:  

(08-06-2013 09:41 AM)salukiblue Wrote:  Again, my concern is the reactive, not proactive stances they take. Saving a "wall" on the Chik fil a property, while a moral victory, didn't save the property. Same for the CVS church and now the 19th c club.

Perhaps that isn't the role of MH, but perhaps it should be. The fact they have only raised $20k in six years shows that there really has been little effort. Heck, set up a Memphis Heritage 5k every year and that would have brought in more right there.

Again, my concern with MH is that there involvement is limited when it is close to the end, but once a fate is sealed, West comes out screaming...well after it is too late. If the preservationists had put this much effort into the 19c clus five years ago, perhaps it would already be repurposed. Really, the only reason it was ever sold was because the city was taking it to court for being in disrepair.

There are several reasons the 19th CC was sold. Part of it is that the club membership and activity was dying a slow death. Part of it is that they knew they could no longer maintain the building. Part of it is that some of them erroneously thought they could pocket the proceeds. And part of it was the influence of a Memphian I have already named. The City code violations were just the straw that broke the camel's back.

This building has needed massive repairs for at least a decade, repairs to the tune of a million dollars. MH has nowhere near the resources to tackle that. And the big picture is that there are probably fifty or more historic structures in this county in the same shape.

Perhaps I wasn't clear. They raised $20,000 in the New Century campaign, but over the last five years they have raised their operating budget each year, which is about $100,000 a year. That takes some effort in this town that has so many urgent human and animal problems, i.e. child abuse, education needs, medical care, poverty, domestic violence. There is huge competition for every charitable dollar in Shelby County. And June West and a small group of volunteers have managed to keep MH afloat in these hard economic times with a WHOLE LOT of effort.

So, what does MH do? I'm not sure how much you know about what they do, but they are anything but reactive. They are proactive on many fronts, and work behind the scenes with people who do not want their business known, like the re-inventors of Overton Square. You can kind of compare what Junes does, in part, with what an AD does with our Ambassadors. It takes a lot of energy and time, and as I said, June has no staff to speak of.

June and other volunteers give presentations in the community on preservation topics and hold educational seminars at the home they were given on Madison. They would love to have more people who can go out in the community to educate about proactive preservation.

You call the preservation at Chick-fil-A a shell. You are right and it is disappointing, but can you imagine the fight it took for a handful of Memphians to go up against the corporate structure of Chick-fil-A? It was a partial victory, but what is left is far better than nothing.

Memphis Heritage has been the only preservation group in this town for decades, and they have carried the banner alone. It has been an uphill battle. If you think they can be successful by changing their focus, feel free to join and contribute. Your energy will be greatly appreciated.

I appreciate that response. Very fair.