Historic buildings anchor a city's identity, but developers see dollar signs in their footprints—so should preservation override profit? I've watched our downtown lose two century-old structures to parking garages in the last five years, and each demolition chipped away at what made the neighborhood distinct. Sure, maintenance costs are brutal and retrofitting old wiring isn't cheap, but once a building is gone, it's gone forever. We can't keep trading heritage for short-term gains.