Where's the parking? Can you drive on that fancy textured pavement? Will my F-250 have a spot to rest 20' from the door of whichever shop/restaurant I am going to?
Are those restaurants downtown? Why would anyone go to them, I bet they fail. No one would drive the 5-10 minutes it would take to get to them if they were in Fort Wayne. I don't think things are any different in Toledo.
Every time I drive by the wasted river front and huge railyard on Clinton street, I think about what might be the Fort's greatest and most under utilized asset.
If you've ever been to Baltimore, you have likely been to the city's famed "Inner Harbor" area - which does a FANTASTIC job of plunking down a nice retail shopping and restaurant space in the middle of an urban wasteland.
Another, closer, example of this might be the Navy Pier up in Chicago. Imagine if we were to take the Fort's river front and make a very nice outdoor shopping and arts center? Nearby parking garages could be built and then folks could simply walk the length of the river bank. Throw in a good outdoor Farmer's market, and other "daily use" shopping and you are guaranteed to have a lot of foot traffic.
That's definitely the right idea. It's exciting to think about the possibilities.. then you remember how resistant to change most people around here are.
notice all the crowds- liek a cedar point midway 4th of July. giggle! I used to taxi NS railroad crews through Toledo all the time. There were never any crowds there. across the river- i forget the name of the neighborhood at the moment- lots of bars, and clubs. all the strip clubs- Deja vu, etc, along old 24- always crowded.
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I need to let the folks at Toledo Lounge know about this so they can get the picture for their collection. Nice job, Toledo.
Where's the parking? Can you drive on that fancy textured pavement? Will my F-250 have a spot to rest 20' from the door of whichever shop/restaurant I am going to?
I don't know...
Are those restaurants downtown? Why would anyone go to them, I bet they fail. No one would drive the 5-10 minutes it would take to get to them if they were in Fort Wayne. I don't think things are any different in Toledo.
Every time I drive by the wasted river front and huge railyard on Clinton street, I think about what might be the Fort's greatest and most under utilized asset.
If you've ever been to Baltimore, you have likely been to the city's famed "Inner Harbor" area - which does a FANTASTIC job of plunking down a nice retail shopping and restaurant space in the middle of an urban wasteland.
Another, closer, example of this might be the Navy Pier up in Chicago. Imagine if we were to take the Fort's river front and make a very nice outdoor shopping and arts center? Nearby parking garages could be built and then folks could simply walk the length of the river bank. Throw in a good outdoor Farmer's market, and other "daily use" shopping and you are guaranteed to have a lot of foot traffic.
Fort Wayne NEEDS our own "inner harbor."
Vulgrin appears to have the right idea.
Email your ideas to Mark Becker.
That's definitely the right idea. It's exciting to think about the possibilities.. then you remember how resistant to change most people around here are.
Looks even better than Penn's Landing back in Philly...and that was a showpiece.
Then again, the DELAWARE is a real river...LOL!
B.G.
notice all the crowds- liek a cedar point midway 4th of July.
giggle!
I used to taxi NS railroad crews through Toledo all the time. There were never any crowds there. across the river- i forget the name of the neighborhood at the moment- lots of bars, and clubs.
all the strip clubs- Deja vu, etc, along old 24- always crowded.
dcroach@yahoo.com
they just keep rolling. wow.
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