(Photo: Getty Images)
This was originally published in The Athletic.
The Cincinnati Gardens finally met the wrecking ball this week, something that’s been inevitable since the Port Authority bought it two years ago to build some sort of light manufacturing facility where the Gardens will soon no longer stand. I watched some of the local news coverage of an event that was maybe a little too unceremonious, and I was struck by how sad it made me feel.
Where the new structure will be built once stood an iconic Cincinnati landmark, one that saw millions of customers pass through its gates. It was a place that housed teams and events that are more deeply woven into the fabric of our city than any light manufacturing facility ever will be. We keep building newer, fancier, more expensive stadiums and arenas that will never reach the lifespan of a place like the Gardens, but we’re losing things like charm, character and history. Our memories are as disposable as the buildings we raze.
But the problems aren’t just that the Cincinnati Gardens is being demolished, it’s that so few people seemed to care.
To read my entire piece, go to The Athletic.