It’s unfortunate, because I remember the Mission Valley Wards was one of the more opulent ones. Simple and rather utilitarian on the outside, but inside, an undercurrent of stated elegance; unheard of for Montgomery Ward.

And to the mall itself, I remember my mother taking me shopping for the first time. I believe it was 1962, but she wanted to sit down and rest her feet, so she let me loose in this large center courtyard; it had a fountain, greenery, and led to the parking garage. As I recall, around 1967, that center courtyard was dug up and replaced with concrete dinosaurs and basically turned into a large sandpit before Westfield decided that open space was a bad thing and filled it in to make room for the Ruby’s that is there today.

It’s a real shame what’s happened to this mall, and I dread what will happen to it once Westfield expands it.

PS: I have a friend who is in a high position at the Macy’s store, they are tossing around the idea of reopening the former restaurant, but nothing is set in stone yet.

I would have chained myself to the building if I knew this was happening. I just learned of your site and organization just a few minutes ago. I’ve loved this building for a long time and I didn’t know there were other people who felt about this building as I did.

San Diego is going in the wrong direction with wiping away great buildings like this… for a friggin’ parking lot? How original. I’m just sick.

—Gregory May

This is a cautionary tale for those sophisticated enough to recognize the value of historic preservation. The Historic preservation movement was borne, largely, because of the demolition of inarguably important resources (Penn Station, NYC) and was propelled by the distasteful loss of Victorian mansions and delightful Italianate commercial buildings. As the movement matured, less obvious but nevertheless important buildings representing working-class neighborhoods and more common buildings were added to the list of historic resources (Ford Dealership). It has long been misunderstood that listing a building saves it. The protections vary wildly from city to city. In some cases there are daunting review processes and some outright prohibitions. In other cities the designation is almost only ceremonial. San Diego seems to occupy a middle ground. The loss of this dealership might not trouble many people because the 2010 state of the building and its simple architectural style – largely free of intricate decorations – is not as compelling as the traditional historic property (Villa Montezuma). But the loss of this building is terribly important because it reveals a massive gap in the process – big enough to drove a bulldozer through. Weekend demolitions are the standard operating procedure for those who have calculated it’s easier to ask forgiveness then ask permission. I was chair of a preservation group for over a decade. Our solution was to have enacted severe penalties, including the denial of building permits for years, on any property that was subject to an illegal or suspicious demolition without proper notice. I am puzzled how the City staffer, the city’s chief historic preservation officer Cathy Winterrowd, could have failed to follow up. After all, I cannot imagine her desk has a stack of demolition reviews to tackle, given the current state of the economy. I find it difficult to swallow that this due to an overwhelming task load. There ought to be a cost to this. This should be the starting point for a review of the consequences of suspicious demolition sequences. I recommend the Salvation Army be required to clear the site, grade it, seed it, and landscape it, leaving it unfenced and open to the public as interim open space. PLUS they be denied a building or paving permit for a minimum of five (5) years. That should send a signal that sneaky weekend raid on historic properties are consequential and far more expensive than following the process in good faith.

Michael J. Young San Diego, California

I am just horrified to learn from SOHO of yet another historic building now lost. And you promised this wouldn’t happen again!

So… just how was this allowed?

Please investigate, and more importantly, pass the changes and reforms that SOHO, the Neighborhood Historic Preservation Coalition, Mission Hills Heritage, the Hillcrest History Guild and others asked for…and which the city promised at the LU&H hearing on Historic Preservation this year. Among them: (1) No demolition permit should ever be issued on a weekend, and no demolition should be permitted to occur over a weekend. (2) No demolition permit should be issued without the proper noticing and review Ford showroom, downtown San Diego (Park Boulevard & C Street) — demolished August 21, 2010to determine whether or not the building in question is historic. (3) Fines and consequences for illegally demolishing a historic building should be as financially devastating to the “demolisher” as to the building’s structure.

Currently the fines do not even make a dent in the pocket of someone intent on flouting the law.

This was the old Ford dealership; an extremely important building designed by the internationally renowned Walter Teague. It shares design elements with a companion building in Balboa Park that is on the National Register. Staff at HRB had been notified in writing by San Diego preservationists on numerous occasions of its significance.

I am sadly disappointed that you permitted this to occur on your watch, and I sincerely hope you will take the steps necessary to ensure it does not re-occur.

Dionne Carlson, Letter pubished in http://www.hillquest.com/