Demolition Permit Granted

Permit submitted and approved. Demolition contract will be signed tomorrow. Work should begin very soon.

Danny Mac took a bunch of photos today of the interior. I will find a way to host some of the photos for posterity sake. Dan had spent time inside 308 when it was a dance club. There's a photo of he and Kelli on the cover of a local newspaper that I'd love to find. Anyway, he didn't quite remember Ringside looking as it does today. That's unfortunate on many levels. But, mostly today because Ringside was once a vibrant part of the Triangle scene.

Even though I've had a couple of months to adjust, it still seems like a daunting series of tasks to turn this space into a home and business.

Repeating History

Oh, how I want to replace the existing storefront. I think it a face only a parent could love. Since I'm the parent and I don't love it, my child is under investigation for cosmetic surgery.....

A plug here for the architect, Scott; he likes the existing storefront. Maybe one needs a trained eye to appreciate its uniqueness.

We met today with City/State preservation experts to advise us on the possibilities of a building face lift. There was some risk they could tell me I MUST refurbish and leave the existing structure. This seems a more remote response after today's meeting.

Historic preservation of street facing facades seems to fall under consideration of two guiding principles: 1) existing structure is deemed historic if greater than 50 years old and 2) "pre WWII" structures come under significant approval rigor before granting renovation allowances.

We've confirmed my existing storefront was built after 1942; perhaps in the 50's or 60's by the Friedman's Jewelry family who operated out of this location. We can also confirm the "original storefront" was NOT recessed. This provides some confidence I might be able to put it back nearer its original configuration and have some flexibility in the design. But, for now it goes back to the City Preservation counsel for consideration and future guidance.

Meanwhile, I can not start demolition on the storefront. My considerations pending counsel review:

• existing storefront renders approximately 200 sq. ft. of space useless for modern commercial/retail business requirements
  
• maintaining historical integrity is important to me - the definition of "historical" will be interesting
  
• interior ground floor needs more light which would occur by removing recessed entrance
• eligibility and receipt of Historic Tax Credits may swing possibilities for my future renovations
• I'm not in love with the existing storefront (this needs mentioning often)
  

Check out the folks at endangereddurham. They do a great job of digging up property history and photographs of the Downtown Durham area. Here's a link to their review/photographs of my building (308westmain).

It's Official

Downtown Durham has a new building owner. Last Friday, I purchased the building formerly known as Ringside or Boxer's Ringside or Friedman's. Well, I financed the building formerly known as......purchased implies ownership and that applies to my friendly, neighborhood banker.

Anyway, a search for a new building name is underway. I need help in finding the original owner or occupant. I hope to market the building name back to its origins. "Don't forget where you came from" as Aunt Jannie used to say. Advice that's often useful and sometimes forgotten.

I intend this blog to document my progress. I suppose it will be more for my own catharsis, though I hope my mom and friends also find it useful.

Welcome to my journey.