What the hell? This sad-looking building is the former Fall Creek Apartments [edit: Sharon Butsch Freeland tells us the original name was Jose-Balz Apartments, after the developers of the area], located at 30th and Fall Creek Parkway. In contrast, Bass Photo Company took a photo of the place in 1917 soon after it was completed, looking sharp with fresh white paint and crisp new mortar.
The apartment building was built in 1916 overlooking the city park along Fall Creek and across 30th Street from a public school site (the school wouldn’t be built until 1924). Surrounding lots were occupied with single-family homes and a smattering of duplexes, and this building with its Mediterranean arts and crafts style fit in among them.
Go forward 95 years, and that building is still standing, although those years have taken their toll. The apartments have been vacant since at least 2004. Fortunately, the neighborhood has recently seen a revival. The 1924 PS 76 has been renovated as senior apartments, and many houses have been remodeled. Fall Creek Apartments seems just to be waiting for its time to come again. So, who will take the challenge…?
Sadly, a salvage operation came in about 7 years ago and removed most of the fixtures. I remembered that this building had beveled glass in the french doors before those, too, were removed.
That is a major downer. 🙁