Over the recent period, the Davis Food Co-op has significantly upgraded its property at the southwest corner of G and 6th. This change is, to me, a welcome improvement. Not least, the “Teaching Kitchen” focus generates traffic and life at that location, especially in the evening.
Also in the evening, the combination of multiple lighted windows and exterior lighting creates a warm and glowing streetscape.
That building was constructed as a duplex in the late-1930s and served well in its time. The accompanying snapshot of Barlow family members standing in front of it circa 1946 shows a young & maintained structure. (Profound thanks to the fabled Mickey Barlow--first row second from the left--for the snapshot.)
But, two additional snapshots I took in the later 1990s hint at its blighted decline. Continued decline, demolition, or “adaptive reuse” were prime choices for the building’s future.
KUDOS to the Davis Co-op for choosing adaptive reuse. John Lofland
