When Does Historic Demolition Serve Preservation?

No one knows better that the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Peter Brink, Vice President of Programs, that this can sometimes lead to agonizing choices and put preservation groups at odds with each other. In this interview, The Planning Report talks with Brink about revitalization as preservation writ large, the tough choices that led to the destruction of the Century Building in St. Louis, and the Trust's successes with New Markets Tax Credits.

"The New York Times recently ran a news article titled, “When Preservation Equals Demolition,” which chronicled the battle to save the Century Building in St. Louis and noted that “for the first time anyone involved can remember, the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the country’s most powerful preservation group, sided with the wreckers. In fact, the redevelopment project that led to the Century’s demise was financed with the National Trust’s help.” Can you put this NYT story into context for our readers? Has the National Trust modified its mission?"