The tenants of the La France apartments in downtown Salt Lake City like to say there is nothing dividing their small row of houses - no street, generation gap or economic barrier.
In good weather, they sit out on their front porches and visit with "family" in the neighboring units. Every tenant is either within earshot or a short stroll down Wayne Court.Tucked away from the noise and danger that surround them, the tenants tend tidy gardens, water the flowers in window boxes that sprout from the red-brick facades and together keep the common areas clean and safe.
In good weather and bad, they watch out for each other, not just against crime, but for everyone's health and welfare.
Longtime residents say not only do the row houses look like a throwback to the '20s from which they sprang, their occupants have somehow preserved the same close-knit community spirit of the past.
"We are a family, here, all of us," said John Robinson. "We care what happens to each other."
So when the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church announced that it was evicting the tenants in seven units to make way for a storage facility, the rest of the tenants reacted with disbelief and dismay.
"They're family, these people who are being told to leave," said Robinson's wife, Cecelia. The Robinsons, who have lived in the La France apartments for 30 years, fear the project signals an end to their tenuous hold on a forgotten way of life.
On Sunday, they joined the 100 or so other tenants in an open house to show off that way of life to the congregation of the neighboring Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church, news reporters, city officials and anyone else who cared to stop, look and listen.
"Well, unfortunately, we've had a very low turnout from the Greek Orthodox community," said tenant Andrew Olson after three hours had passed and only one church member had visited the units. "We were hoping to show them what's here, to give them a sense of the community that exists here."
The church, which owns the property, plans to demolish the first seven units along the west side of Wayne Court, 250 West at 300 South, for a warehouse to store equipment. In a meeting with residents last month, church officials promised to help the evicted tenants find new homes.
They also said they have tried to find an alternative location for the warehouse for the past five years without success. But the tenants said some options need further study.
"We don't dispute their sincerity and their need for storage, but we just believe there is a better solution," Olson said. "We feel that it doesn't make sense to demolish these units, especially considering the housing situation in this city."
He also stressed the historical value and unusual character of the La France row houses, saying those qualities are irreplaceable. The location was used by three film companies last summer, he noted.
"You can't find anything like this anywhere in Utah anymore," Olson said.