“So named because it surgically preserves only the facade of a historic building and attaches it to a new structure, the facade-ectomy has surfaced with rising frequency in recent years, stripping structures across the nation — cast-iron buildings in Baltimore, red-brick warehouses in San Diego and post-Chicago Fire Victorians — of everything but their skin. Often portrayed as historic preservation, the facade-ectomy tends to be something else altogether, merely smoothing the way to building permits for developers who covet the flexibility that comes from clearing historic sites.”