“I live in the openmindedness of not knowing enough about anything.” ~ Mary Oliver
I had the great opportunity to document parts of Memorial Coliseum with Crystal. The old gal – the gym, not Crystal – is getting a facelift. Our task was to document as much of her corridors as we could before the dismantling and renovations begin. To my knowledge, women’s sports – basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics – will continue in the updated facility. She is way overdue for some work, and I’m very pleased that the university is fixing her rather than tearing her down. The African American neighborhood of Adamstown was razed to make room for Memorial Coliseum in 1949. For those who don’t know, Memorial Coliseum was the university basketball gym before Rupp Arena was built downtown in 1976. They razed a whole neighborhood for less than 30 years of entertainment, so you see why it’s important they not raze Memorial Coliseum. Plus, the greenest building is the one that’s already built. It’s better for the environment and the people to remodel or renovate than tear down and build anew. Historic Preservation 101.
Leave a Reply