A simple solution to saving downtown doesnt exist. We must place cultural importance above profit, this is the only thing that saved the bathhouses. We, as a community, must exert political and economic pressures to effect change. We must be willing to GO DOWNTOWN and support enterprises that exist there, and those enterprise MUST provide a product that merits this support. We have to be willing to spend taxpayer money to change infrastructure i.e. open whipperill road behind many businesses for fire safety and parking. Talk is cheep, ideas are numerous. How many more historical structures must fall before we, as a community, take action? The time is past due. I am not optimistic that many current owners appreciate how important these structures are to our identity. We must open our minds to new purposes for downtown, since old models have failed. We must be willing to enforce code and all step up. Those that have profited from our community must now be willing to give back and not simply cash out. Sorry about the rant, but this has been on my mind for a long time now.
Posted on: Wed, 05 Mar 2014 05:24:49 +0000