3119 4th St. N. Waits For The Bulldozer

Photo By John Hoff

On Thursday, we thought this place was going down. The asbestos had been removed. Two guys showed up with a backhoe, and...

I chatted with them. One was young, and while he waited, he twiddled a sledgehammer instead of his thumbs. There was some last minute minor salvage: fire extinguishers and smoke detectors were removed, and the sledge-twiddler grinned widely as he scored a new, never-opened kitchen cutlery set. I figured he'd bring it home to his young wife, or perhaps his mother. He really didn't look like the kind of guy who gets excited, himself, about new kitchen utensils.

Twiddling A Sledge Hammer

The supervisor told me they were waiting for one signature out of the 14 necessary sign-offs: the guy from the "heritage preservation" office. Something like that. The supervisor was waiting on a phone call that would confirm the signature was on the paperwork, and then demolition could proceed.

I thought how frustrating it must be for a guy with a backhoe to wait on a crummy piece of paper. He's an action guy. Not a paper-pusher. The young guy with the new knife set didn't seem to care; he appeared to be paid by the hour. He walked around, twiddling his sledgehammer. You could see his eagerness to let loose on something, but he had good discipline, and held back.

Tomorrow And Tomorrow And...RATS!!!

So, at first, it was looking like Thursday evening. Then I was told there wasn't enough daylight left, so it would be the next day, Friday. But word came from Gabe of 612 Authentic that demolition had been put off until Monday. "Patty Cake" who lives next door had already purchased champagne. Not the fake stuff, either, but REAL champagne.

I asked her to get some fake stuff. Even if nobody will persecute me for it, I will not violate an ordinance against drinking in public. "Patty Cake" said she's buy some fake champagne at the "used food store." I totally have to blog about that place.

As eager as she was to see 3119 reduced to a patch of newly-seeded soil, Patty had another concern: RATS!!! She was making calls to seek assurance the building had been "baited" beforehand, which is apparently a standard procedure with demolition. If you don't kill the rats in the building, they will flee to neighboring properties; in this case, Patty Cake's nice little house with the cowboy decorative motif. I imagine a furry, moving carpet...like that movie "Willard" about the guy and all his rats.

So we wait. We wait for Monday, and we chill the champagne, and somewhere HNC Housing Director Jeff Skrenes apparently has another Cuban cigar stashed away. Rumor is that 400 31st Ave. N. will go down soon, too, but there is apparently a need for asbestos abatement at that property, as well. Jake and Gabe plan to be at the demolition with their camera, to see the demise of the building I've dubbed "Mold-O-Topia."

Tales From The Demolition Crew

It turns out the guy with the contract for demolishing 3119 4th St. N. knocked down the building which used to be next door, several yeas ago. He said that while he was demolishing THAT building, the police were launching a raid on 3119 4th St. N. This happened TWICE. He remembered it, vividly.

"This place was full of problems and misery, from its very beginning," I told him. "Apparently, there was even COCKFIGHTING here."

I should have added this: bring the Ghostbuster crew with you, gentlemen. Take the negative energy aura out with the foundation, if possible. Leave no shadows and curses behind to begin a whole new cycle of misery and evil.

This is the Eco-Village, and we are beginning anew.