Demolition without due diligence is, alas, no stranger to preservationists. It always is infuriating nonetheless. That the Historic Albany Foundation had to obtain a court injunction to stop the razing that was begun Aug. 29 without a city permit is cause for grave concern.
Demolition is, with rare exception, the consequence of dereliction of duty on several fronts.
Perhaps that is why it is so often done surreptitiously and without sanction. If indeed the contractor hired by Albany County had what was characterized as tacit approval in the form of a sidewalk permit from the permitting city department, shame on that department. Those parties who hastened the demise of this building in one of the most important historical contexts in Albany should be held accountable. But when all is said and done, demolition is irrevocable, and retribution is of little solace in the face of the obliteration of a landmark like 41 Ten Broeck. No replication is ever comparable to the real thing.