I noticed that the front of this building in the first block of West Federal Street is now covered with white vinyl siding. Is vinyl siding appropriate for the front exterior of a downtown building?
As it stands in your picture, it looks incomplete, but if they plan to finish the upper part, I see nothing wrong with it. Obviously the building is or will be used which is in itself good. Remember that when they first restored the Warner Theater that the front was clad in similar material and no one complained.
IMO, it's not appropriate. Aesthetically, I think this is about equal to what was there.
Powers/Warner Theater wasn't clad in vinyl, was it? I thought that stuff was some kind of concrete/stone?
I'm really not sure, but it didn't take long to remove it and return the front to it's original state. I do know though that the windows from the inside were intact. By the way, what business occupied most of the 2nd floor and all of the 3rd? Note, that business is still in business but at another location.
Here's the newspaper articles of opening night for Powers Auditorium
Powers Auditorium
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SPJeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TVQNAAAAIBAJ&dq=powers%20auditorium&pg=3383%2C1636686
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SPJeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TVQNAAAAIBAJ&dq=powers%20auditorium&pg=2066%2C1630246
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SPJeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TVQNAAAAIBAJ&dq=powers%20auditorium&pg=915%2C1616355
http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=SPJeAAAAIBAJ&sjid=TVQNAAAAIBAJ&dq=powers%20auditorium&pg=1005%2C1805634