From the WSJ Opinion Archives
LEISURE & ARTS
Hold Back Those Bulldozers
Officials are too eager to tear down bulidings in New Orleans.
As attention shifts from rescue to reconstruction in New Orleans, we must answer the question of how, and in what form, the rebuilding will happen. If we get the answer wrong, Katrina and Rita could turn out to be among the greatest cultural disasters the nation has ever experienced.
On a recent visit to New Orleans, I saw first-hand that the French Quarter and the Garden District are largely intact. That's good news, certainly, because these areas, with their imposing white columns and lacy cast-iron galleries, constitute the world-renowned public face of New Orleans. But the down-home heart of the city beats in lesser-known neighborhoods such as Holy Cross, Treme, Broadmoor and Mid-City, where officially designated historic districts showcase the modest Creole cottages, corner stores and shotgun houses (long, narrow houses, usually only one room wide with no hallway) that are essential ingredients in the rich architectural mix that is New Orleans. These are the buildings that we saw in those haunting images of battered rooftops dotting a toxic sea, and they are the buildings most at risk. Saving as many of them as possible is essential--and I came away convinced that the vast majority of them can be saved.
In dealing with the Mississippi River floods of 1993, the Northridge earthquake of 1994 and numerous other natural disasters, the National Trust has learned that almost always, the first impulse of local officials is to tear down every damaged building in the name of public safety. We've also learned that this first impulse is almost always wrong. Obviously, some historic buildings--perhaps many of them--will necessarily be lost, but we shouldn't lose more than we have to.
The Gulf Coast is home to a blend of cultures, traditions, buildings and landscapes unlike those found anywhere else in the U.S. Recovery must acknowledge the special character of these places. To do otherwise would be to compound the devastation that has already occurred. The goal of recovery efforts should be to allow displaced people to come home to communities that are healthy, vibrant, familiar places to live and work. It's a goal that can't be met by simply calling in the bulldozers and creating vacant lots where neighborhoods used to be.
Many times in recent years, when communities were devastated by earthquakes, floods, tornadoes or hurricanes, we at the National Trust have worked with local officials and our preservation partners to determine the communities' needs and figure out how we could help most effectively--whether by providing funds or technical assistance. But the unprecedented ferocity of this hurricane season has confronted us with a disaster like none we've experienced before, and it calls for solutions like none we've developed before.
What's needed first are conscientious, comprehensive surveys conducted by experts in construction, architecture, engineering and preservation--people who can examine an older building's condition, evaluate its historical and architectural significance and determine the feasibility or advisability of saving it. With generous funding assistance from the Getty Foundation, American Express Foundation and other sources, we've already sent survey teams into Mississippi and New Orleans. The final decision on what buildings can--and should--be saved will be made by property owners, city officials and FEMA, but the work of the survey teams will give them the facts they need to make informed decisions and rational recovery plans.
To turn those plans into reality, we need--and are seeking--targeted sources of federal and state funding for the preservation of storm-damaged structures. Existing tax-credit programs, for example, should be expanded to encourage the rehabilitation of historic owner-occupied residential buildings, which are currently ineligible for these incentives. To supplement funds from insurance companies, FEMA and other sources, special federal preservation grants should be made available to owners of damaged historic buildings, who would agree to rehab their properties in accordance with agreed-upon preservation standards and principles.
The clock is ticking. City building inspectors in New Orleans are already at work, and The Wall Street Journal quoted one official's estimate that "the total number of homes . . . that must be bulldozed is around 50,000." Some demolitions have already taken place--including the totally unwarranted razing of a significant landmark in the history of New Orleans jazz. The rush to demolition is gaining speed, with consequences that could make an already tragic situation even worse.Ultimately, the question of how the Gulf Coast region should be rebuilt is one that its residents must answer. Let's hope they get the chance to do so before their region's future is decided for them.
Mr. Moe is president of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
