Everything old doesn't have to be new again By Ray Barrington News-Chronicle There are times when I swear Green Bay would prefer to remain in the 1920s. Take the discussion over the Boston Store site sale to Baylake Bank. Before the deal was approved, the City Council included the condition the facade of the building have an "old Green Bay" look. I take that to mean brick-style fronts, arched windows and false fronts, similar to Broadway and the west side of Washington Street. Indeed, Ald. Guy Zima came right out and said, "I look at what's been done on Broadway, and that's what I want to see here." And the rest of the council, and former mayor Paul Jadin, agreed. Granted, they at least have a vision of what they want to see, and that's better than not making any statement at all. Just ask the folks in Allouez what they thought when Video Watch (now Hollywood Video) plunked its neon and lack of landscaping in the middle of Webster Avenue. After that, Allouez clamped down, and now, anyone developing there had better pay a lot of attention to looks. Not that Green Bay's had that problem, if for no other reason than there hasn't been much building there. And what there has been has been of fairly modern design (Camera Corner, the KI Convention Center, and that all-glass dentist's office). I think anyone would agree that we want something that's more attractive than, say, City Hall. But there's a difference between downtown and Broadway. In Broadway's case, much of the beauty was already there, covered up in grime and defeat, needing mostly the dedication of many to become beautiful again. And it worked. The same is true in parts of downtown Green Bay. The Northern Building is an art-deco jewel, and the Brown County Courthouse is a first-rate restoration job. But at the Boston Store site, there's nothing to restore. The hope of the council is that the new facade will bring back days when Kaap's and other stores ruled the day. But those days are gone, at least for anybody under 40. Shoppers today are more interested in free parking than beautiful old wood. Bay Park Square manages to be both bland and garish at the same time. The top retailer in the world is so bland, it uses gray Wals as decoration. I fear the plan may satisfy us visually, but not be terribly useful from a business standpoint. Baylake Bank is to be congratulated for stepping up, but whether people bank there will be based on convenience, interest rates and checking fees, not a beautiful building. And what of the new facade? It will be a copy of what went before, not the original. A Disney downtown, if you will - copying the past but not carrying the history that clings to the real, old buildings downtown. I would hope the council is sharp enough to realize there are ways to harmonize with downtown, while not turning design into a cartoon. The KI Center has the right idea - it fits in with neighboring buildings without trying to replicate an old style down to the last brick. The remodeling of Washington Commons over Washington Street works without being a direct copy. If done right, whatever replaces the Boston Store can do the same. Barrington is a reporter for The News-Chronicle. His column appears here Fridays. Contact him via e-mail at [email protected].