Comments on: Settled In Shipping: Shattered dreams and shuttered doors

By: Freshwatermermaid

Freshwatermermaid — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 16:00:46 +0000

The pattern is money mostly. Sometimes it’s a small-minded mayor trying to appease rich citizens, but in our case the spectrum has been sold off to open a best buy. I’ll just repeat that: A motherf^*ing Best Buy!

I actually heard about it not from a musical aquaintance, but an architectural activist. There is a strong community of those who would wish to preserve architectural spaces and who wish to encourage sensible urban planning. Sadly, their strength is in passion and not influence. The aesthetic of the street is completely in jeopardy as the condos that will sit on top of the best buy (just imagine the beauty) will be higher than the adjacent buildings. As the corner sits on the crest of a hill, the ancient and beautiful post-office (now a bank) across the street, the bar on the opposite corner and music plus (our version of mtv) are all likely to be “gentrified” in the name of condo development.

The last time I was in NY I visited the Meat Packing District where I was able to shop for completely unaffordable shoes and designer jeans. They were shooting a movie nearby and I had no sense whatsoever of the history of the place, the world described by Upton Sinclair in Jungle was completely pastelled over and certainly not mentioned. The Spectrum purchase is roughly the same effect and I’m appalled that no-one is getting as angry about it as I am.

Ah Jane Jacobs, where are you when we need you? Does your spirit live on anywhere?

By: Jeff Albert

Jeff Albert — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 12:38:20 +0000

Well, arts spaces, and clubs in particular can be mercurial. I think that’s just part of their make up, so I never really expect any one space to live too long. It’s when they start closing in a familiar pattern that is government instigated/condoned that it can be troubling for a whole scene.

By: Ryshpan

Ryshpan — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 03:55:20 +0000

Thanks for the link, Jeff. I remember thinking when Tonic closed, “If this can happen in NYC it doesn’t bode well for any other city in the world.” Unfortunately I was proven right. Montreal, of late, has not been doing well by its arts population (first the closing of Cinéma du Parc, which has now reopened in a slightly tweaked form; the impending closure of Spectrum, the nexus of Jazz Fest and one of the best sounding rooms in the city; and now the possible/probable closure of Main Hall, one of the better presenters of up-and-coming bands).