I still do not understand why we are building this - these things have been referred to as 'honky tunnels'. The whole idea of revitalizing downtown is to bring people back to the sidewalks and generate foot traffic. If we are hoping to generate ground retail downtown, then why are we completely removing people from the sidewalk? I mean, we are talking about a bridge over a two way street with one lane each way.
Not even to mention that we are connecting the Convention Hotel, that is needed for the GWC, to the Embassy Theater. But I guess people would rather walk from the hotel, across the bridge, through the embassy, across the bridge practically to the Hilton, then down to the convention center- rather than walking outside across four lanes of traffic.
Not to mention that we are knocking a hole into the 'Historic' Embassy theater that people saved from demolition and have been dumping money into for restoration.
I love the Harrison Square project, but I hate this addition. The hotel knows that the project is pivotal on it being built, so its got us by the cojones.
Check this out - downtown Calgary has a system of walkways (15+), why would ground retail ever come if we remove people from the ground like this.
14 comments:
LET MY PEOPLE WALK
WALK AWAY FROM THE SNOW
WALK AWAY FROM THE RAIN
WALK AWAY FROM THE SUN
WE SHOULD BUILD THEM, THEY WILL COME
SKYWALKS TO PONTIAC STREET
LET PEOPLE WALK
-ROACH
x-wire.blogspot.com
Roach Daddy,
I just lost 2 minutes of my life.
Thanks for posting that
Damn it.. finally something I agree with you on Mr. Anon blogger.
You're right, why have the foot traffic 18 feet above the shopping? While I don't agree with the whole HS concept, if it's going to work you need the potential shoppers at the street level.
Then again, if it's going through the third floor of the Embassy, people might just want to go through it to stop and listen to a free concert.
Yet another problem caused by Kelty.
AWB and CFW agree? WOWZERS!
http://aroundcarson.com/2007/09/18/old_reno
coming soon to another failed downtownproject bailout- the final frontier!!
ps- love the haiku! thank you for the fun! ;) I'm smiling from ear to ear!
now if I could only find a CASINO train out of town.
i guess i've met my Waterloo!
http://www.765.org/
my "Kelty for Mayor" Train Wreck"
(throw momma from the train! giggle!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HmsxtErEVrw
I fully understand the point about keeping pedestrians on the sidewalks. My guess is this will be a little-used amenity for hotel guests. In Indianapolis you can walk all around downtown without ever setting foot outside, but it's certainly not the most direct path. However, when the weather is lousy I appreciate the option. I go down there for work a few times each year and on the few occasions when it's been pouring down rain I have been happy to be able to get from my hotel to the convention center without getting drenched. I don't honestly think this is such a big deal to get so worked up over.
anon 11:07
You are so right. This was not a big deal for Hardball at all. This was a payoff to some local people who help walk the project through. These people obtained a rather costly "GIFT" for their group on the taxpayers dollar.
Welcome to the world of The Embassy Board of Directors! They are the real financial winners.
Will our City Council finally have the guts to stand up and say enough is enough? I sure hope so, but history tells me the chances are slim.
How many people checking into a hotel in Fort Wayne are going to ask if the hotel is connected to Grand Wayne Center? Some will, but most will only care that the hotel is across the street.
This bridge is not a show stopper and never was! Why do you think it was held to the last second and then the attempt to jam it through was undertaken?
JQ -
you are correct in saying its not a big deal to hardball, because it does not involve them.
However, for some reason it is a huge deal to White Lodging Services to get this tunnel. Since we did not have offers from several different developers, then we are practically at the mercy of WLS.
WLS had signed or given their verbal approval before this broke loose. Again it is not a show stopper. It is one way for a special interest group to pile on grabbing their piece of the pie.
If WLS was that close to walking away they would have for some other reason. If they wanted out they would have gotten out.
Frankly, if the City Council wants to give away more money then let us let them.
Because people you have not seen the last of these games. You got screwed on the Safety Accd. that council gave away this past Tuesday. Then next up comes North River!
Let us just hope some of these people have much more serious things to worry about then these projects. Time will tell.
I guess I am missing the logic here. The foot traffic will be generated in good weather.
Each time I go to Indy, I see hundreds of people on the sidewalks - they aren't all "up in the air."
I have been to the Embassy many times, and the only time I use the skywalk connecting the garage to the Grand Wayne to the Embassy is when the weather is bad. Otherwise, I just walk across the streets.
Why would the use of this skywalk be any different? Will everything that is done with the Harrison Square project generate debate and negativity? Will nothing short of scrapping the project make opponents happy?
Our West Central Neighborhood Association supported the project, and I am looking forward to improvement and growth in the downtown area.
The skyboxes are sold out already, but even that fact has generated negative comments. For the opposition, there won't be anything that will satisfy them as to the project. I bet when it succeeds (and I am taking a positive position), some negative spin will be put on its success.
You are correct, Charlotte, except that if we can take the unnecessary, unneeded, and unpopular baseball stadium out of Harrison Square, and large number of negativity will go away - just wait and see. John B. Kalb
Charlotte,
My gripe is the people who had conflicts of interest to be voting for this measure. Had it been done heads up I would not be upset. I also think the project would never had gotten going.
See, I don't have a problem with the ballpark. It is about the only thing they could have built that would draw 250,000 - 300,000 people downtown for the dollar investment.
Then again we could have taken all of the tax money and built a new office building and GAVE IT to some company to move their entire corp. offices to Fort Wayne. It would start producing property tax the first year, payroll taxes, and so forth. We would have gotten some new home building, home property taxes, and more business for the current downtown business. If the building was large enough a new hotel would have to been built and some private investor would have stepped up.
Then again a bunch of the locals would not have gotten their share of the pie so it could not happen. They saw to it and we got what we got.
A place that will produce some jobs that will pay in the lower level of wages, no bennies, and no home buyers. So the spin off is nearly zero.
I will get off the soapbox and let someone else get up on it.
"Then again we could have taken all of the tax money and built a new office building and GAVE IT to some company to move their entire corp. offices to Fort Wayne"
Your office building already exists
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