Tonight Woodstock City Council approved 5-1 the request by the owner to proceed with the special use permit that necessitates the demolition of Grace Hall as soon as the first building permit is issued.

Thank you for all of your efforts to preserve Grace Hall.

Kathleen Spaltro

Thank you Kathleen for all your efforts to try against all the odds to preserve Grace Hall.

Unfortunately, I don't vote in Woodstock, but I'd certainly like to see the removal of office from the Woodstock city council members who are such hypocrites that they could suddenly vote for demolition.

Didn't they all say they were "against" demolition previously?

I image they have all already received their special thank you "bonuses" from the site developer!

My regrets and thanks, too, Kathleen.

"Downstate" is tough on heritage as opposed to commerce anywhere in the Midwest, as an old Ohioan like me knows.

And these propositions are going to be tough everywhere in the next decade because we have a "Wall Street Deal" rather than a "New Deal" in our present debacle. No more meaningful contrast could be made between 1929 and 2009.

I'm certain that Woodstock will live to rue their act. People tend to, after it's too late.

Glenn

Just like that song, "Don't know what you've got- till it's go-o-one...". I think I'll download that. This really is a shame, though. Someone should at least take a camera to the inside of it before it gets torn down. It'll probably have to be quick, though: one gets the feeling that the church is probably pretty eager to get rid of it ASAP.
Recessions are pretty tough on heritage as well. The church perhaps also wants to get rid of it before the economy picks back up.

Kathleen,

My deepest regrets.

This is nothing less than cultural vandalism for reasons that Glenn and others have cogently stated.

Can you put a price tag on preserving history? You betcha! In this case it is $160,000. This is from the July 22, 2009 Northwest Herald:

Although most of those in favor of saving the building focused on reusing Grace Hall, officials from Woodstock Christian Life Services said such an option was not economically viable. Transforming Grace Hall into two senior condos would have cost about $150,000 to $160,000 more than the construction of one duplex – about $75,000 more a unit.

Moving the building also would be expensive, about $462,000. Also, an adjacent property would have to be bought, which would increase the total cost to about $600,000.

Mark Gummerson, attorney for Woodstock Christian Life Services, said those who support saving Grace Hall had no problem “sitting back and criticizing” their efforts, but never put “their money where their mouth is.”

“The attitude has been, ‘You go ahead and assume the costs and the risks because we think it’s a novel idea,’ ” Gummerson said.