The next councillor Downtown Meeting must be held NOW!!!
After reading the Post I wrote about the canal plan, there doesn’t need to be a wait to hold the next downtown meeting. We don’t need a Canal Plan to save the downtown! We need to create in the downtown an environment where projects like the Canal Plan would be successful in leverageing the revitalization of the entire downtown.
The Downtown Meeting should take place to examine the incremental changes that need to take place that can be funded now. By making Iconic structure vs. Incremental change an either or proposition we are dooming whatever Icon we choose to build to failure.
We should be talking about incremental changes to our downtown independently of the icons we want to build within them. Implementing the Sustainable Downtown Plan and the incentives contained within them. Implementing the remainder of the Streetscaping plan to downtown. Having the City formally adopt the districts within the downtown and Examining what can be physically done within each of them to implement that district branding of our downtown. (Wayfinding signage, gateway markers) I’m talking design elements vs decorative.
Don’t shirk the responsibility to improve downtown by making it dependent on the canal plan.
Post Feedback
I agree Mark. I hope that tonights Downtown Residents Meeting does just that as some councillors will be there. Let’s look to what we CAN do rather than complain about what we know we need.
The only issue I have is that your branding of downtown has not encompassed the entire downtown area especially the residential portion of it. That is to say that the surrounding neighbourhoods (not that the majority of them are in good shape) should be incorporated as well. How else to get people to move downtown if we don’t show them what there is to offer?
The incremental change
We felt that the Branding - or Districting has addressed the residents although at the time there was no formal organization.
The DWBIA could only district within its boundaries which currently only goes up to Bruce on the west (doesn’t even include caron ave or the cut)
The Arts district and the Pelissier village district were specifically targeted to have names and themes that would appeal to current and future potential residents. As well as identifying the existing Arts centers within those boundaries (Arts - Capital theater, artcite, chrysler theater, St clair school of arts)
This subject of this post should be paramount to residents.
1. They should be looking at the 1997 Downtown Plan,
2. look at the list of 167 unattempted incremental changes that could potentially happen
3. Identify which ones are important to them and what their priorities would be
I’d betcha almost anything, the DWBIA will share many of the top 10 or 20 top priorities and I’m sure the DWBIA would be thrilled to work on those hand in hand with residents first. (I’m not their spokesman but I know I’d vote to do that)
With that kind of combined pressure from the businesses and the residents, the optimist in me believes we can start to effect incremental change
Absolutely Mark. Together we can and will make those incremental changes.
Out of curiosity, why does the DWBIA boundary stop at Bruce? There are 10 businesses between Bruce and Caron and Pitt and University.
“We don’t need a Canal Plan to save the downtown!”
Hallelujah!
Is this Mr. Boscariol’s way of finally acknowledging what we “naysayers” have been saying all along in various shapes and forms?
Focus on improving what we’ve got first? Investing in current infrastructure first?
If that is what you are stating, then I can honestly say I wholeheartedly agree.
It sounds like we should see the canal plan be put on shelf (for good i hope) and dust off those CIPs and put them into action, finally.
Yup - first things first. CIPs in conjunction with focusing on improving on mass transit. Then, maybe keep the water/sewage out of my basement so that I’ll spend less time bailing water to free up more time to visit the future Canal district.
We’ve got to emphasize prioritizing what will keep residents in the core before planning for future residents that may, eventually, show up and play.
Chris! I agree with transit being a huge focus too.
Somebody has to explain to me one day how TW can issue report after report identifying the sparsely populated area it needs to serve and as a result, service is spread too thin, costs too much.
Yet, the City of Windsor continues to sprawl sprawl sprawl… …If only the City people could just talk with the bus people you would think things could improve…??? They might even come to the conclusion that their transit fleet should ween itself off deisel altogether and try a more sustainable format…hmmm .. with electricity…. hmmm… I wonder…
A reliable transportation system has to be in place before focusing on mega projects.
Windsor was chosen to be a testing ground for plug in vehicles, which is great.
Now turn around and they are arguing with cab drivers about cameras.
Wouldn’t it be a major coup if the city decided hybrids and electiric vehicles would be the cab of choice for a licence?
Lead follow or go home whimpering, but do something.
A general meeting of those really wanting improvement in the downtown core should just decide and then tell the city what they are going to do.
If they help, fine, if they don’t, sue them.
“The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me.”
—Ayn Rand (1905-1982), novelist, philosopher
ME - Businesses actually have to opt in to the BIA to be included.
Chris - I don’t know if thats my way of acknowledgin naysayers. I think it only bridges our divide. I still support the canal, just acknowleding your points are necessary to do it right.
That your points seem to be an end in themselves whereas I see them now as a means to an end. The marina is a good thing, the riverwalk is a good thing. The investment in downtown is a good thing.
I would only see eye to eye with you when if we agree that this will not revitalize the rest of downtown without the rest of the incremental changes
I still see you as looking at it as an either or and I want it all
1997 Downtown Plan? This old of a plan is probably in need of an update for 2008 and a good place to start in actually moving forward with a new vision for the downtown…then you can introduce changes to the zoning based on
your plan. I also suggest a website to check out, cnu.org which is
the congress for new urbanism, a movement dedicated to the walkabe, mixed-use, human scale neighborhoods and districts that are currently
not allowed under traditional zoning practice. You need a new plan before you can change the regulatory tools used to implement your vision for
your community.
Sure we can update but The 1997 plan is a great place to start. Since most cities actually performed these items over two decades ago and proven their value. Its not that they went out of style its just that we keep replacing the need to do them with Major projects intead of doing them in conjunction with them.
Mark - do you have a link to the 1997 plan?
Mark I would be careful using those older plans to a degree. Those plans are based on the premise that we have the ability to attract 4 million people on the other side of the border.
What those plans do not represent is that today that is truly no longer the case. With 9/11 and no with the passports needed by US citizens for return to theirown country I believe that number is going to fall greatly.
It has been proposed that over 80% of the american population do not have a passport and that most americans will not be rushing to get them anytime soon at a cost of $120/each per family member.
I would say that those 4 million americans may be targeted, eventually, by 2019 or around there because by that time hopefully a majority will have a passport.
We need to focus on residents first as we will truly be chasing a ghost of 4 million “potential” visitors.
I’m only saying that your board and My board should sit down and start ticking off the ones that are relevant as a good place to start.
After that we add some new ones,
Then we go to council this November and ask that $ be attached to them. They found 1.6 million for gateways, what about this. Put some timetables to the lists.
I don’t even know if they’re going to be streetscaping next year. Another project shelved. I’ve written priority lists dozens of times
How about we proverbially nail the next one to city hall in a joint press release
MArk, I think that would be a great idea! It will certainly be brought up and I think it would show unity; we are on the same page most of the time anyway.
Future retail and transit oriented retail developments
Recently Richard Layman offered a good discussion of what might be ahead:
Picture the following scenario: Mr. or Mrs. suburban Anoka pulls into the parking structure adjacent to the train station along the Northstar Commuter Rail Corridor in Anoka. It is 6:50 a.m. He or she has 10 minutes to complete some errands and buy some essential sundries before boarding the 7 a.m. train headed for downtown Minneapolis. He or she can buy coffee, a breakfast sandwich and a newspaper before boarding the train.
If there is extra time, the same transit rider could drop off dry cleaning to be picked up later, leave the car at the nearby “convenience auto” stop for a wash and an oil change and deposit the toddlers at day care or pre-school.
The transit commute home in the evening presents more possibilities. How about a take-away, prepared food counter where a broasted chicken or take ’n bake pizza could be secured for the evening meal or a “mini-fitness” workout locker room?
Of course, the challenge with these “transit station marketplaces” is attracting customers and patrons during the midday hours when the train volume and passenger traffic will be at their low point.
Full article here:
http://allaboutcities.ca/future-retail-and-transit-oriented-retail-developments/