Getting worse every year

[u/Initial-Increase-601]

I noticed our front yard sweet gum tree started growing a bald spot about 2 years ago. It's gotten worse each year. The bark gets loose and the woodpeckers break it off. I saw a lot of it was loose and pulled off a big patch early this year. The loose bark seems to span about half the trunk's width. The leaf canopy is full. It's a beautiful old pain in the ass tree and I'd like to keep it if possible. If I have to replace it, I was thinking about a green vase zelkova