There are a few issues I'm still willing to beat my head against the wall over. (See last night's post on "A billion here, a billion there," for example, or the numerous posts on eminent domain). One of them is downtown Fort Wayne. If there's only one building left standing, I'll probably be in front of it yelling about how we can turn things around if we really try. This is largely emotional rather than logical, I realize. I went to high school at Central, back when we had an hour of open lunch; I spent four years wandering through downtown. And I've never gotten over my rural upbringing. Rounding a curve and seeing a city skyline still takes my breath away.
So I probably need some grounding now and then, from people who will tell me to stop and think about downtown rationally. Not today, though. I'm going to a meeting this morning put on by some of the people who went to Greenville, S.C., to learn how that downtown was revitalized; these are people who are still as obsessed over downtown as I am. I hope to come away with an editorial for tomorrow's paper and a blog post or two.
In the meantime, repeat after me: We can do it, we can do it.
Comments
I think the issue here is DEFINING WHAT saving downtown means.
I think that there are several different ideas of what that may mean- to some it means having shopping, to others nightlife, and still others would define it as "something" that draws you downtown.
Personally, I think the days of shopping downtown are over. A few scattered stores cannot compete with Glenbrook or Jefferson Pointe.
However, we do have a shot at nightlife!
I am looking forward to seeing the plan.