Selma Shame, Selma Blame: the criminal neglect of Selma, Alabama's historic downtown architecture

Oct 26, 2006

Selma has always been a refuge for me. I used to come back to my ancestral home several times a year to do genealogical research and to soak up the small-town ambiance. One of my favorite views of the city--one that lifted my heart and spirit each time I returned--was looking north on Broad Street as I drove over the Pettus Bridge, especially at Christmastime. Another was of the Alabama River and the bridge from the landing in front of the Bridgetender's House.

Selma called my name for a long time and I finally came to stay for good in May 2006. I bought a yellow cottage on Union St. in the Olde Towne historic district in January and while I thought the town was absolutely lovely in Winter I was looking forward to Spring when everything would be in flower and I could see my new hometown in all its splendor.

But Spring brought another vision of Selma, not at all the one that I expected.

To be truthful, Selma long had a sort of downtrodden appearance to it. An air of not-so-benign neglect. The historic downtown sports a snaggle-toothed smile--buildings missing here and there--but enough of the historic fabric remains so that there is still a visual continuity and the mind automatically fills in the gaps. It isn't hard to imagine how charming Selma would look in its renaissance. Or that with such a large inventory of extant architecture that there would, in fact, be an Renaissance one day. Selma's is, after all, the largest historic district in the state of Alabama. And its Pilgrimage brings thousands of admirers to the city each Spring.

LOSING ANOTHER JEWEL IN THE QUEEN CITY'S CROWN

One building in particular on Water Avenue, the first street off the bridge, sparked the imagination. In the 1930s, Walker Evans was inspired by the graceful Phoenix Building and took a photo that saved the facade for posterity.

Then one day in June, the unimaginable happened. The Phoenix Building--once poised to take flight--collapsed into itself. Gone! In an instant. Just like that!

On June 7th I walked over to Water Avenue from my shop on Alabama Avenue and stood immobile across the street in front of the St. James Hotel and pondered what mindset in the city of Selma could have allowed something so horrendous to occur. Who, what was to blame?

The building had been gutted years before by its owner and left to decay. The city purchased what was left and under pressure from preservationists put a pittance into stabilizing the facade. But it was too little, too late.

Who, what is to blame for this travesty? And could it happen again? The unfortunate answer is, yes, it could and it will unless something drastic is done.

SLUMLORDS, SLUMLORDS, EVERYWHERE SLUMLORDS

I'm from New York City and I know a slumlord when I see one. Selma is rife with slumlords. They ought to be fined at least or prosecuted for neglecting their properties. Why doesn't the City of Selma enforce its own building codes? Back in the Spring the code enforcement officer and the building inspector made ME jump through hoops to ensure that the interior of my shop met code but, inexplicably, they didn't go after the building's owner even though the structure had multiple violations visible to even the most casual observer. I'm writing here about preservation, history and aesthetics. But there is also a public safety issue.

Just who are these slumlords? And who are the spineless jellyfish in municipal government who allow them to flourish and proliferate?

Jan 1, 2007

OOPS, THEY DID IT AGAIN

From today's Selma Times-Journal:

Part of another Water Avenue building falls The Selma Police Department and Selma Fire and Rescue responded to a dispatched call on Saturday afternoon. The top of the building that houses Rafael's Bar and Grill, located at 11122 Water Ave., and the former Riverfront Market Caf/ sustained some roof and storefront damage when some bricks from the top of the building came tumbling down, leaving a gaping hole in the right corner of the top of the building. The fire department roped off the entire block for safety purposes, preventing through-traffic.

I saw the police tape across Water between Broad and Washington Streets while driving through downtown on New Year's Eve but didn't know why it was there. Imagine my horror when I saw this story in the STJ online! What a deplorable way to end a year . . . and begin a new one.

April 1, 2007

SPEAKING TRUTH TO POWER

Several weeks ago, a friend informed me that "they" were passing around printouts of this website and that "they" were perturbed that I would publish such a "negative" ("their" word) image of Selma on a website that could be viewed worldwide.

"Duh!", I remember thinking. That's precisely the point!

My next thought was who were "they?" And after that, what was so "negative" about the truth? I didn't make it. I didn't create it. I just wrote and published my reflections on it. Don't kill the messenger. Even "they", I was told, acknowledged that my observations were right on the money.

Today I opened the Selma Times-Journal and read the following in Byrd Looper's column:

. . . the dilapidated and falling-down buildings in Selma . . . in such a deplorable and disgraceful state of disrepair . . . "Who is responsible?" . . . It's the city government . . . There are codes on the books to force the property owners to repair or take down these "eyesores." The codes that apply are not enforced. Why?

Why, indeed? That is the question.

I don't think anyone will take Byrd Looper to task for saying same in a daily newspaper that could possibly be read all over the world or will "they" criticize Ann Bracken, a good citizen who exercised her right of free speech by penning the letter to the editor that prompted Mr. Looper's response.

April 8, 2007

REBIRTH WITHOUT REBUKE: an Easter message

You couldn't make this stuff up if you tried.

Today's front page story in the Selma Times-Journal, "Downtown Selma awaits its rebirth", is about the "opportunities" that exist to purchase and rehab some of downtown Selma's dilapidated and rundown buildings. It wasn't really a news story--nothing happened--and should have been the subject of an editorial, say, but I understand the intent and laud someone for at least responding to what I'm sure has been criticism coming from many quarters across this lovely city.

But (and this is the part you couldn't invent) the story concluded with observations and quotes from the city's Code Enforcement Officer and the City Attorney, the two people in city government most directly responsible for enforcing the city's building codes:

Moore and City Attorney Jimmy Nunn have been researching ordinances that require property owners to keep commercial properties in repair. City officials agree it could be "impolite" to enforce, but instead are encouraging use of available properties or have them demolished.

There it is. Presented without editorial comment (except for some judicious highlighting). If one wanted to assign blame for the current physical state of the city, one has to look first and foremost to the property owners who have for whatever reasons disinvested in their buildings. But the other finger points directly to the code (non)enforcement officials who refuse to do their jobs because, well, it just wouldn't be nice. In their own words. Q.E.D. . . . quod erat demonstrandum.

Progressive cities build in protections for the good of all the citizens. Then they enforce them. For the good of all the citizens.