No chance for goodbyes

Here's a sad one from the preservationist blog Building on History. The bureaucrats responsible for Portland's "prosperity" – they're doing great, right? – went and knocked down Fire Station No. 1 on the west end of the Steel Bridge, without so much as a howdy-do.

Now some developer weasel with connections will have a lovely empty lot to build on, probably playing with quite a few of your property tax dollars. That is always the prime objective at Portland City Hall.

But unless there's someone with a lot of money and no common sense whatsoever, the property will be vacant, except maybe for tent squatters, for many years to come.

The blog post, by Fred Leeson, also wonders what's going to happen to the Lloyd Center Mall, which has been completely closed for more than a week due to a fire. I'm as stumped as Leeson is about what the future holds for that place, but his phrase "long, slow death" certainly rings true.