The fall of the D+D Center

[Alexzero77]

The D+D Center was originally built in the 1930s containing stores like the Clematis Street Burdines. When it moved to the Palm Beach Mall is the 1960s (It's still there as a popular Macy's), the building was used as a court annex. It was then vaccated and demolished yesterday. In it's place will be a new big city hall and library. What are your thoughts on the whole downtown development?

[tombarnes]

Would you have a picture? I have doubts about the wisdom of demolishing a building from the 1930's...was it Art Deco? Florida needs to save more of its older buildings.

[Urban_Legend]

^Well, it must've been stucco'd over or something. It was not an attractive building at all, and certainly didn't look like it was from the 30's. I wonder what it might've looked like if they'd peeled away the nasty 60's exterior....

Regardless, I'm looking forward to the new city hall/library more. I hope they do a good job and don't make a cheap building.

[Urban_Legend]

Here's a pic of the D+D building that got demolished:

And here's a link to a press release something or other about the project:

http://www.wpb.org/News/showStory.php?link...iteUnderway.php

[tombarnes]

Looks ugly to me....I just hope there wasn't a gem hidden underneath. Washington lost a great collection of buildings that way. When Kann's department store on Pennsylvania Avenue was demolished in the late 1970's, a handsome row of storefronts was discovered beneath the hideous 1950's remoldeling job, but too late to to anything about it. They all fell to the wrecking ball.