Two Historic Rutger Park Mansions

[Disgusted-Daily]

www.wktv.com/news/local/19610409.html

This is great that an organization cares about Utica. But was this really a good investment? There not disclosing what they paid for the two properties but say that repairs will come with a hefty price-tag. "We're talking several hundred thousand dollars here down the road, probably well over a million by the time all is said and done,"

Everything around these houses is run down and riddled with crime and prostitution at its highest. They can't even unload the old Teamsters building. Nothing over there is worth even close to this amount of money. How will they ever stop the Vandals, break-ins and destruction that will regularly occur?

I think this was a bad deal and the money could have been used more wisely to benefit Utica.

[Clipper]

Todd, I have to think this is a great accomplishment, having the Landmark Society take responsibility for the mansions, their restoration, and their maintenance.

We have many such old houses and buildings here in the south. I see more sense in rescuing the history and the stories that go with the residents that have occupied these old houses over the years, than I can see in their fight against the owner of the building on Broad St that was enthralled in controversy a year or so ago.

Utica has a rich history and some famous people have lived in the city. I was dissappointed when the old Horatio Seymour house in Deerfield burned down years ago. It was sad to see the Weaver House on Trenton Rd. fall into ruin and be demolished.

In my usual overly optimistic and upbeat way. I see Utica in the future as a historic and great place to visit and live. If we can save enough of our history, and maintain enough such sites as Rutger Park, we may have a chance to rescue our heritage from destruction, and extinction.

To have more places like the Fountain Elms house at MWP, and the library, the brewery, Rutger Park mansions, Union Station, Grace Church, all of the statues along the parkway, the Utica Marsh area, and other places of interest, cannot be a bad thing.

I can envision actually having enough points of interest to foster a driving tour of the area, and tourists actually spending some time in the city, checking out our points of interest, BEFORE they travel north into the adirondacks.

We need more people like Malio Carderelli and others, to keep our history alive, and our memories of better days in the city fresh in our minds.

I am old enough to remember the "heyday" of the city, and the days when the "busy corner" was more than part of the titile of a message board. I remember wonderous things happening in the city, and wonderful times spent right in our hometown.

That is why I love my hometown. That is why I "Can't wait to come home".

[boomer]

I think that someone had to step in. I just hope it doesn't become one of those Player or Stanley Theater non-profit cash-cows. Those homes are pretty nice. What is going to be the purpose of these places though? Rather than restore them and let them sit like museums I hope they could find something that people could actually DO while they were there. Maybe teach some Architecture classes in that seeting for the Colleges or something like that?

I say this because as nice as some of our local assets are, and as EXPENSIVE as they are, The Stanley cost 20mil this round, and the contractor's say that there was a lot of "paper machae" kind of hiding stuff recently among the new work at the Stan. Upper windows rotten but were painted over etc., the inside of the Marquee is still in corrded shape in places etc.

ANyway what I was trying to say before I sidetracked myself, these assets are wonderful, however they seem to be used for only to appeal to a somewhat smaller demo of Uticans.

The last time I was even IN the Stanley was to take my brother to see Christopher Reeve. I'm a "normal" person with normal interests (OK blowing things up might be out of the ordinary but) but I haven't driven by and seen anything remotely interesting on the venue in... 30 years? Nutcracker is more mass appeal but the rest of the stuff looks like its more aimed at the wine tasting crowd.

So yeah, it it good news they can save this property now but I hope it doesn't just become another hang out for the dreadfuls.

[Swimmy]

Check out strikeslip's Honoring the Past

[dgriffin]

Well, traveling to a renewed Rutger park might entail a drive through the gorgeous Mohawk Valley, a quick run up gorgeous John St. and then parking on any one of Cornhill's gorgeous side streets. I'd recommend the trip be taken in a rented Armored Personnel Carrier.

[wilum47]

I take that route all the time to mother's house and I use the family vehicle........no problems....................of course I drive it like they do on the airport road in Baghdad!

[dgriffin]

Not to say there are no solutions. After all, a really successful "destination" might push neighborhood values up and push the riff raff out in favor or light businesses, antique stores, etc.
My wife and I sometimes stop in what was once the old factory town of Newberryport, MA, on our way to Maine. What was probably a fairly sordid downtown area has been turned into a shopping mecca of quaintness. It's really pretty nice ... even old curmudgeon here doesn't mind walking around it. Not at all like the horrible "outlets" disaster that has befallen Freeport, Me, around the LL Bean store.
In fact, I think a" Landmarks Commission" could conceivably be a problem for the project, even though I know nothing about them. Clipper's right in that they'll do a better job than the politicians, but I wonder if they'll do a better job than Business would. Money does things ardent hearts cannot.