A television screen above Todd Morgan’s head flashed with images of Chattanooga buildings past and present, each one labeled “LOST,” THREATENED” or “PROTECTED.”
Now is a critical time for preservation, Morgan, executive director of Preserve Chattanooga, told a group of around 90 people gathered Thursday morning in the basement of Second Presbyterian Church.
Last month, demolition began on the Car Barn building in downtown Chattanooga, built in 1886, where Drury Hotels is erecting an eight-story hotel without input from preservationists. (“LOST,” its image said on the screen.)
Another historic structure, the Medical Arts building on McCallie Avenue, is slated for demolition soon as the church that owns it plans a new modern wing in its place. Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly this week issued a statement calling for a “private investor with a heart for historic preservation” to buy the building, as the city doesn’t have the millions needed to save it. (“THREATENED.”)