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SOHO President's Message
By David W. Goldberg
January/February 2023
 Photo by Sandé Lollis |
For me, January is a welcome respite from the busy holiday season. It’s an opportunity to look back on the recent and not so recent past, and think about where we may be headed. With a once-in-a-century pandemic still cause for concern, taking time to engage in a little reflection seems apropos.
December 6, 2022 marked the 1,000th day of the pandemic. It’s fair to say that nobody could have predicted the changes it would bring. Thriving, long-established businesses weren’t able to cope and closed their doors, while other businesses unexpectedly prospered. Many sectors of the economy were hard hit and jobs were lost. In other sectors, jobs went begging. Housing prices increased dramatically and the stock market posted record gains. To say the least, it was a difficult, confusing, and mournful time.
Not surprisingly, it also was a challenging time for SOHO. All our sites and shops had to be closed and in-person programming was postponed or cancelled. Planning seemed more like an exercise in avoiding being blindsided. It was a battering experience, but as we begin a new year, SOHO is poised to weather whatever the pandemic brings and exit it in remarkably strong shape. This didn’t happen by accident. The reasons were twofold: astute management and deep institutional memory—two assets you won’t find on a financial statement.
A quarter century ago, SOHO was in a very dark place. There were insufficient revenues to support ongoing operations, only a few hundred dollars in the bank, and a $30,000 judgment against us from our lawsuit to prevent demolition of the T.M. Cobb building. Serious consideration was being given to disbanding the organization. Fortunately, several board members vehemently disagreed, and Bruce Coons assumed the role of president, later becoming executive director. That development began a steady process of rebuilding, growth, and 25 years of uninterrupted increases in net assets (profitability). Today, SOHO is one of the preeminent preservation organizations in the country, a remarkable turnaround of which we can all be justifiably proud.
The lessons learned from that difficult time haven’t been lost. It’s well understood that SOHO can only be successful if it remains financially strong with sufficient resources to focus on its core mission. This has allowed SOHO to take on tough fights and, in the case of the Santa Ysabel Store and barn, to purchase and preserve a threatened landmark property through our revolving fund.
SOHO members have always been creative and steadfast in preserving essential historic sites and structures, but I can’t help but wonder how much more could have been saved if SOHO had deeper pockets early on. Would, for example, the 1907 Melville Klauber House, one of Irving Gill’s most significant commissions, and the 1894 William S. Hebbard-designed Julia Dent Residence/Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library still be standing? The loss of these important buildings still stings decades after their destruction, and we’re all the poorer for it.
Today SOHO wins the vast majority of its battles, but we are still in pandemic recovery mode. You are a big part of the reason SOHO continues to save historic buildings and sites, and to educate people about our landmarks’ historic and cultural importance. We greatly appreciate your membership, advocacy, and financial support. The fruits of SOHO’s five-plus decades of preservation victories are all around us. Remember, a strong SOHO means a better San Diego.
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy, and prosperous New Year!
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