Historic preservation is a critical part of maintaining the DNA of a community and city. The maintenance, upkeep and restoration of historic properties is not easy, but it’s one of the most important and redeeming parts of being a property owner. What would Harlem be without the brownstones? San Francisco without it’s intricate Victorian? Or, Over The Rhine without it’s muted Greek Revival, Italianate and Queen Anne? These historic architectural properties are a major part of the character of these cities.
Many in the Great Cincinnati area, specifically, Covington, have recently seen the news that Sparen Real Estate (through Pershing Properties, LLC) was granted permission to demolish two historic town homes on Pershing Avenue, a block from Mainstrasse.
There has been no shortage of opinions on why the decision to demolish the two properties is a good or bad thing for the city. We appreciate the community feedback; the discussion is a critical part of a long and tedious process. Make no mistake, this wasn’t an easy decision for us. The foundation of our business started with historic renovation and spending the better part of the last two weeks in the Rhine valley in Germany, it was a stark reminder of the incredible importance of maintaining historic property. It’s part of our national heritage. However, there comes a certain point when a property is unsalvageable and it’s better to tear down and build new for the betterment of all. We believe these two properties had far exceeded that point.
We thank the Urban Design Review Board and the City of Covington for giving us the opportunity to do further improve the historic area of a beautiful city. Partnering with the city and greater community is critical with such projects. Without question, whatever succeeds the two historic buildings it will be of superior timeless quality and in complement to the overall historic area.
If you’re interested in a little more about these properties you can catch some of the news here:
https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/kenton-county/covington/historic-buildings-set-for-demolition-but-some-see-gentrification-moving-in
PS: the pictures in the article are NOT the historic building on Pershing, WCPO got that wrong.