Friday, November 20, 2009

Downtown.....Your thoughts?



In a recent article found in the Guard Publishing "Blue Chip" November issue, page 5, Mr. John Brown a highly respected commercial real estate appraiser who specializes in downtown development stated: "Many of us can remember a vibrant downtown, with stores open at night, a great mix of retail and office space, and a sense of safety." Most would agree that these elements are now missing from our downtown.

Further Mr Brown stated in the article: " Time and again we are given hopes of a revitalization." 'These proposals seem to follow the election cycle, always becoming one of the issues debated among the candidates for mayor and city council." "Our community has spent millions of taxpayer dollars trying to attract the right mix of uses and densities..." "To date, the prevailing opinion is that most of these efforts have not had their intended results."

"There is no single solution for revitalization downtown Eugene. But one thing is clear: Past efforts, with the exception of a few projects, have not lived up to expectations."

One would take from this article that the past has not worked so now it is time to think outside the box and get moving on different solutions. We need to address the disconnect, cure it, and get on with getting our City cleaned up. Enforcing the laws will generate new interest in downtown for all. Maybe that is just one of the solutions that will allow the vacant store fronts to fill and shoppers to return. In the absence of a law abiding city, what investor will put their money into a city with such a high crime rate when they can find other cities with less of a crime rate. What are your solutions??? Please tell us!!!!

EugeneAdvocates for a Clean City