At the last EDC meeting I heard/saw more discussion of yet another study of "what we need to rvitalize Riverside's CBD". This will be another unconscionable and unnecessary waste of our already stressed budget and will accomplish nothing. We already know we what need in Riverside - more foot traffic from residents and visitors alike that will, first and foremost, generate spending in our existing businesses and thereby stimulate interest for both future development and mercants coming in and opening a business in the spots we have available. Anything that does not directly stimulate these two areas is useless and a waste of money.
Why we are always looking to outsiders to come in and tell us what to do is beyond me. Riversiders are not stupid, we are not uncreative, we are not inept, befuddled or confused. We know what we need and what kind of enhancements people have said they want, and now we just need to do something to make that happen using the means we have at our disposal. Accordingly, at the June 18th Board Meeting, I am puting the following proposal up for discussion. Hopefully the Board will ignore the source and concentrateo on the reason and methods contained herein. Comments are encouraged and invited.
A PROPOSAL FOR THE VILLAGE OF RIVERSIDE AIMED AT REVITALIZING OUR DOWNTOWN CBD
BY GENERATING INCREASED FOOT TRAFFIC FROM BOTH VISITORS AND RESIDENTS
June 18, 2007
Since the demise of the TIF I have seen, read and heard a number of calls to help our Central Business District. Just last week Trustee Shields had a letter in the Landmark stating that “this decision cannot and will not deter the Riverside Board of Trustees from persevering to find an appropriate solution to revitalizing the CBD.— In my quest to apply a little more imagination and a little less in the way of consultant fees to solving this problem, I offer you:
THE RIVERSIDE VILLAGE ARTWALK
“A WINDOW TO THE ARTS—
The concept is to create, at very low cost, a unique attraction that will draw people from all over Chicagoland into the CBD 365 days a year, 24/7, and continue to do so for years to come. With a minor investment of seed capital, all of which should be repaid with a few months, this promotion could continue to function effectively for as long as we want it to attract visitors to our entire CBD and also to attract new businesses that would locate here to serve our residents and visitors alike. With the short term investment of as little as $5,000. - all of which should be repaid within 90 days - we can turn Riverside's current CBD into an unparalleled area attraction with a unique cachet.
The Board keeps saying that they want to bring new businesses to Riverside, but these proposals seem always to be based on the concept that “if we build something new - meaning a new building - they will come.— That just isn't true. What we need to do is to create some identifiable reason for people - residents and visitors alike - to visit Riverside's CBD - all of it - the old and the new, more often. We need to get people to come here and walk our streets, not just drive through. We need “a draw— to build the traffic count of potential customers prowling the CBD - people who arrive by car or train and stroll around town. When we have that, then new businesses will want to locate here. And that will attract further development. What I propose will initially benefit our existing businesses, those who have stuck it out through thin times and who deserve our support. This is what we should do before we create competition for them, and this is exactly what this program will accomplish.
So the question is, what can we do with modest means that will put Riverside on the map and generate area wide positive publicity for our little CBD? How can we create an “exclusive attribute— for Riverside that will lure people to come to Riverside by car and train and make them want to walk all over our CBD and look carefully at the stores we have? Here is how we can do that - quickly and inexpensively.
Here is a project that does not require any construction, any overhaul of facades or pavements or even additional street furniture, yet will generate at least twenty times it's cost in positive publicity and media coverage while it increases foot traffic in the CBD exponentially. That will happen because what I propose will create a very dynamic attraction that you have to get out of your car to see. Here is a simple project that will lend Riverside exactly the kind of image we want it to have -that of a tranquil, beautiful place where art is appreciated and supported all the year —˜round.
Here is a project that will upgrade and make interesting every single business in town and cause residents and visitors alike to become truly interested in all of our commercial venues. Here is a way to involve every single merchant in town - whether retail, commercial, or service business - and make them hunger to be included because it is a surefire way to attract residents and visitors from elsewhere to their businesses. This will do more to upgrade Riverside's CBD than any other single initiative we can take. It could be in place in sixty days. It will function in all seasons, year after year, endlessly. It can be the dawn of a whole new image for downtown Riverside.
Now I had a bad experience with bringing the idea of a “Chalkfest— to Riverside. The Chamber of Commerce and The EDC jumped at the concept I presented, but when it disappeared into the Town Hall it came back as something else entirely. I do not want to see this happen again, so that is why I chose to pull this rabbit out of my hat here at this meeting and present it right out in the open before this Board and our audience watching at home, so there will be no mistake about what the project is, what it can do for Riverside, and how it should be implemented. Quickly.
Here in a nutshell is what I propose....
Hewlett Packard has a new large format printer called the Designjet 10000. It prints on a new special vinyl called Epiflex. HP only claims a three year “no color fade— for it, but actually their tests have shown it is likely to look just the same in ten years as it does the day it is put up., and that is outdoors. This machine prints up to 2.5 meters wide and 64 meters long! The experience has been that this process is so lifelike that people have a hard time distinguishing the real from the copy.
Now what I am proposing has already been done in London. I want to reproduce, on Epiflex, world class masterworks of art and place life size reproductions in the windows of every business in Riverside's CBD, and perhaps in some businesses along Harlem Avenue as well. At a single stroke we will turn Riverside into a year —˜round, open air art gallery, one where people can stroll and view world class masterpieces in the windows of our commercial establishments. Chagall, Mondrian, Grant Wood, Toulouse Lautrec, Picasso, Rembrandt, Reubens., and dozens more. All reproduced and displayed full size in every commercial location in Riverside, framed or hung with simple devices that would be made right here in town at Riverside Works. They might be backed with suitable photos of Riverside taken by our Village residents so as to involve them in the project, and so there would be something to see from within as well as outside.
The cost of these reproductions will be be from $200 to $500 each, depending on their size. Seed money for this project should come from at least three sources - the Village, , the Chamber of Commerce, and private donations - let's to a total of ten thousand dollars. This amount will cover the first 25-30 pieces, which will then be placed at the local businesses for a fee equal to their cost. Thus the project becomes self funding and self perpetuating. Eventually, as the pieces are retired and replaced, they can be auctioned off to benefit the Arts Center or some other worthy cause such as the arts programs in the schools.
This is a 365 day a year, 24/7 promotion for Riverside. Every business in town - whether food store, bank, restaurant, doctor's or lawyer's office, dry cleaner or auto repair facility should display at least one work of art in their window. The Village itself might display four to six larger works on a rotating basis at our public facilities or as lamp post and park banners to publicize the program as we do now with other events. This attraction will garner extensive print and media coverage. We could place a piece and notice of the program at the Zoo, and Metra might provide free ad space or distribute flyers about this event on their trains so as to boost rider visits to the Village. I'm sure the EDC could think of dozens of ways to garner free publicity for this event.
In summation, I propose we reproduce and display great art from all periods all over the CBD so that Riverside becomes, in effect, a mini, open-air Art Institute. I believe creating this year-round attraction is the best and most economical way to attract publicity, residents and visitors to our CBD. If that happens, it will be the catalyst that spurs future development. There are dozens of towns with high end shops and planter tubs and upgraded facades, but none of them will have an ongoing open air exhibition like this. This project should be worth a substantial contribution from the developers now working in town to create new commercial space and those that are sure to follow. Instead of a one-day art festival that risks a rain out and requires both publicity and a much larger upfront investment to attract artists and, hopefully, buyers to town for a single day, this attraction will attract new and repeat visitors year 'round, year after year.
The quality of what we present in this format will surely garner print and television coverage that will spread far and wide. There isn't a TV station, newspaper or local publication that won't put this event's opening front and center. The publicity and the lure of this “permanent— attraction has the potential to, at a single stroke, turn the CBD around.
OK - It's in your court. I stand ready to put together a Committee of Three Residents to get the job done and the display up within sixty days of funding. It's now in your court. We either move on it quickly or we can watch it occur elsewhere.
It's your move.
