Demolition of Old Gentle Strength Co-Op
Artist
Gary O'Brien
Datec.1980
Dimensions5 × 9 1/4 in. (12.7 × 23.5 cm)
ClassificationsDocumentary Artifact
Catalog number1990.6.14
DescriptionDemolition of Old Gentle Strength Co-Op. Caption attached to back reads: Laid to rest--As about 10 Gentle Strength Co-op members stood by and watched, workers of Rowland Construction laid to rest Wednesday the building that formerly housed the organization. The new co-op building, located at 234 W. University, will open this Saturday or early next week, said Joe Zwiebach, membership coordinator. Opening of the new location has been delayed pending completion of about 18 items required by the building inspector. Zwiebach added that members were not ready to move the business and had asked for a two-week extension, but were told by the Tempe Mission Palms Hotel developers (Rowland Construction and Geupel-DeMars) that they could not grant the extension. According to Richard Mayer, a 7-year co-op member, said, "The co-op was open Sunday and packed with people. Monday there was no one and nothing there." He added, "The co-op is really the people, not the structure [corner of paper torn away] do kind of get goosebumps when I see it crashing down."Caption from the Tempe 150th Anniversary exhibit:
The Gentle Strength Co-op on 5th Street is demolished in 1984. The Co-op relocated, but one member’s feeling of “goosebumps when I see it crashing down" was widely shared.
Status
Not on view
c. 1982
