I trust you, Doug, and, you got the right spirit exactly - brainstorming. So pedestrian mall's are generally bad for business?
Hey, I grew up in Oak Park and I know what went down there. I wondered if in Riverside we might have an 'anti effect' in our small quizzical town that is actually peerless. I challenge someone to find a town that is truly comparable to Riverside. Floosmoor is not comparable. Please keep digging.
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Some other remarks..........
On brainstorming--
Despite the trustee's remark yesterday that at least some of the community's input to the next step of the tif process was 'vague', we are at general idea generation time now, or visioning. We need ideas plans strategies designs at this point and not whether a building will be 30 or 40 ft. I think the controversy in town on the current tif proposal is sufficient grounds for this stmt.
The TOD was supposed to do that, but we need more ideas than what is on that document.
ALSO -
I need to make a comment on the 'bad for business' part of the statement. It brings up the ghost that is haunting this debate. It suggests the question of what are the goals of the mission or the measures of success in the present debate on the TIF.
First, a quick comment: this particular thread on making the village more walkable is a sub thread for the bigger TIF debate. Is making the village more walkable good or bad for business? You probably can give an informed response to that question, Doug.
2nd, measures for success. Here is the question that is haunting this all---
IS WHAT IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS IN RIVERSIDE, BAD FOR RIVERSIDE?
Can we have a vibrant successful cbd in Riverside and not compromise WHAT I THINK (and I submit most people in town think) the core assets that make Riverside unique - the quiet, the space?
*IF* we can do it, it has to be done with LOTS OF PLANNING, LOTS of THINKING unlike the present approach.
This is why some people say, it is like solving the rubik's cube. Fugetaboutit.
Clean up the Tower bldng, replace that awful Courtesy Home Center plank cladding on the corner of Longcommon and Burlington. And they will come.
Hmm. I am not sure that is how the saying goes.
(it's probably more complicated than that)
miket