Mpls. Pillsbury plant on most endangered historic places list
By BRETT ZONGKER, Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) - Jazz musician John Coltrane's home on Long Island, N.Y., a cloverleaf-shaped Chicago hospital building and a Pillsbury plant in Minneapolis that once was the world's most advanced flour mill are among America's 11 Most Endangered Historic Places.
The Pillsbury "A" Mill Complex currently stands vacant. The National Trust for Historic Preservation on Wednesday said the National Historic Landmark is in danger of piecemeal development that could strip it of its potential for reuse and rehabilitation.
Funding is the biggest threat affecting historic places in all 50 states because so many are facing budget deficits and a sputtering economy, said National Trust President Stephanie Meeks. Congress was among the first to cut historic preservation funding by eliminating the Save America's Treasures grant program in the 2011 budget.
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"I think it does send a message that preservation is something that's nice to have, not something that's essential to have," Meeks told The Associated Press. "Of course, we take a different view."
In Chicago, the uniquely shaped Prentice Women's Hospital is perhaps the list's most endangered site, Meeks said. Northwestern University, which owns the building, has said it plans to raze the building later this year. Preservationists argue the building is a prime candidate for reuse and is one of Chicago's most distinctive designs from the 1970s.
Coltrane's home in Dix Hills, N.Y., where he wrote "A Love Supreme," has deteriorated due to a lack of funds, the trust said. A local group hopes to restore the site as an education center but needs additional support.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
