When I sat down yesterday to write a blog about the history of the Blickensderfer building and the houses slated for demolition in the South End, I came across an article published in the online publication “Hey Stamford!” that discusses the history of the former typewriter factory. So instead of reinventing the wheel, here is that link:
Instead, I went to look at the buildings. Building and Land Technology (BLT) has owned them for about four years and has left them open to the elements and deteriorating. These pictures speak for themselves. Windows wide open, holes in the foundation left unrepaired, siding falling off, roofs falling apart. In the development world, allowing buildings to fall apart is called “demolition by neglect.”
But imagine the possibilities. These houses don’t have to fall apart. They are part of an ensemble of historic houses on Henry and Garden Streets that are contributing buildings in the South End historic district. Landlords can take advantage of tax credits for rehabilitating historic properties and providing affordable housing.
The Blickensderfer was once a magnificent building. Many of the original windows are now bricked in, but could be made into windows again. Residents of the South End and many others would be drawn to an adaptive reuse of both the original Nineteenth Century factory, which could be of service to the community in any number of ways, and the Modernist 1935 building, perhaps as apartments.
Judy Norinsky, Historic Neighborhood Preservation President