Government Districts seem to have taken a lot of great buildings.
Winston-Salem's Government District:
This is likely the easiest to find photographs of. This is the area where the U.S. Federal Courthouse, Forsyth Hall of Justice, Forsyth Government Center, City Hall, Stuart Municipal Building, former Sheriff's Department, Forsyth Detention Center Towers 1 & 2, a hotel, several concrete 1970s hardscape plazas, and maybe four parking decks are located. It's close to being fully developed. Two more sites could fill-in soon, with a new 12-storey Forsyth County Courthouse and a science museum.
This is really bad. Just image what the southern part of downtown would be like today, if these buildings were still standing. These connected Old Salem to today's Restaurant Row. This area likely would've been hotels, apartments/condos, restaurants, art galleries, and tech offices. This is where the 1893 Wachovia Bank Headquarters was located!
Before:
Nothing in this photograph is still standing:
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Nothing in this photograph is still standing:
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Unknown (saved years ago)
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Unknown
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
The 2nd Wachovia Headquarters (1893)
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Watch the Demolition:
In 1971, the Government District project moved forward.
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
What Did They Build:
Credit: Winston-Salem Forsyth County Public Library
This could've been much worse. 8 W. Third Street (Wachovia Bank's first skyscraper), which is North Carolina's oldest steel frame skyscraper, was also scheduled to be demolished for this. It was even boarded-up! Somehow, it survived and was renovated back into an office building in 1983. It's mostly government offices today, with a restaurant and coffee shop.
When several blocks are demolished; the time to rebuild is usually measured in decades.