New Visions for Downtown New Albany
We are soliciting suggestions for citizen panelists for our winter Public Affairs Symposium on March 2. We'll strip down the store for this event and are expecting a large turnout.
We will not be putting any elected or appointed officials on the panel, but rather, would think that these officials may want to come and listen to their constituents offer their thoughts on the chosen topic.
This blog is designed to facilitate comments and suggestions in advance of the event. We invite you to be as forthcoming and imaginative as you desire and we'll try to bring it all together for the symposium itself.
We're looking to have a panel of 4, which I will moderate, but to which questions and comments from the audience will be solicited.
In the coming days we'll be announcing the details of our essay contest for elementary and secondary school students.
We will not be putting any elected or appointed officials on the panel, but rather, would think that these officials may want to come and listen to their constituents offer their thoughts on the chosen topic.
This blog is designed to facilitate comments and suggestions in advance of the event. We invite you to be as forthcoming and imaginative as you desire and we'll try to bring it all together for the symposium itself.
We're looking to have a panel of 4, which I will moderate, but to which questions and comments from the audience will be solicited.
In the coming days we'll be announcing the details of our essay contest for elementary and secondary school students.
posted by All4Word at 3:25 AM
7 Comments:
Transcribed from an earlier thread
Edward Parish said:
As stated a few years back in a letter to the editor of the 'Bune from me, if the downtown area cannot be used then send in the bulldozers and dump trucks, raize the buildings from East 5th to State, Main to Spring and put a park in that all of us can enjoy. It will make up for the park that was taken away from the downtown area when the Sherman Minton/I-64 approach took the park at Lafayette Street (look at the "Boofter" map on your wall) and will really make our City a show place.
You asked, that is my opinion like it or not.
Transcribed from an earlier thread
All4Word said:
So, this idea comes to me this morning while listening to Morning Edition. Our leaders are trying to figure out what to do with those insurgents and terrorists who are simply too dangerous to let go but are likewise too dangerous to hold trials for.
New Albany is trying to fill its empty offices, warehouses, and retail spaces.
One local micro-brew aficionado and his cohort are seeking to add to the ethnic mix of the town, or at least the city's tolerance for ethnic tastes and culture in an effort to jump-start the economy in a more creative direction.
Let's start an effort to bring Guantanamo north and be the host for these long-term internees, what say?
Transcribed from an earlier thread
bluegill said:
Since the topic of internment has been broached, I'd suggest re-education camps for wayward real estate professionals.
My wife and I have been looking for residential property in the area lately and have spoken to several realtors and property owners. We're interested in both historic homes and/or the possibility of loft style live/work space. Save the local bookseller and neighborhood association, nary a soul has mentioned the possibility of further local development, the containment of urban sprawl, historic preservation, or the benefits of living in a diverse, walkable community. I've ended up doing more of a sales pitch than the people trying to sell me property, often getting incredulous looks and "well, maybe" in response.
Commercial property seems to be no better. Having lived in Denver as a member of the creative class and survived a portion of that city's momentous population growth, I can tell you that dropped ceilings and Berber carpet aren't what those folks are looking for. I worked for an internet company in a former warehouse with brick walls, high ceilings and the original wood floors. It was simply one big room and we required no remodeling other than updated electric and HVAC systems and a couple of restrooms.
Even a casual perusal of other successful economic revitalizations via "weirdness" throughout the past 50 years shows that it's the big, raw, multi-function spaces that appeal to creatives, not having somebody else's gelded idea of "attractive" forced upon them.
Most commercial property speculators in NA seem to be focused on spending a great a deal of money and effort on the ruination of those qualities. The result is that the property owner ends up with a huge investment in something that they've actively made less attractive to the very demographic most likely to be interested in the space. Why would a young company want to buy a building only to turn around and spend a third of the purchase price again to un-renovate it?
The point is that Garner and his bunch, as sad as they are, are merely representative of the general prevailing attitude. Government is a symptom, not the disease. When the real estate pros and government officials with the largest economic interest in downtown development live in bland suburban McMansions and shop at Wal-Mart, I don't think it wise to expect them to articulate or enthusiastically support a progressive plan for the area. They clearly don't get it. It's the equivalent of voting for a Republican or Democrat and expecting radical change.
You can bet, though, after others- such as the few commendable souls who organize, blog, and otherwise educate the ignorant and shame the stupid out of concern for the downtown area- do the dirty work, they'll swoop like the opportunistic vultures they are and claim as much profit and credit as possible.
When that day comes, and I believe it will, I just hope I live close enough to walk to the picket line at Starbucks.
Transcribed from an earlier thread
Edward Parish said:
With the recent debacle of the failed Garner administration and the hellabuloo of the Overtin reign, it would appear to me that it is time for a neutral party to run the City of New Albany. Asses and elephants alike are so unhappy with our local government leadership, this to me seems to be the avenue we need to look at.
Transcribed from an earlier thread
The New Albanian said:
Keep your eyes on the Courier-Journal, where Dale Moss is writing a column about (among other things) NA Confidential.
Bluegill has it right, but the point to me at present is that those identified as relevant, i.e., who are trying to educate and bring these issues above baord, must know one another. Randy's quarterly forum is an excellent opportunity for this ... but damn, March 2 is a long way off - not sure my liver will hold out until then.
Transcribed from an earlier thread
Brandon W. Smith said:
Creating spaces for interaction, such as the bookstore, the quarterly forums, these blogs, etc. is a HUGE step forward in creating buzz.
Finding like-minded people is nice, but getting a diverse group of people thinking and talking about ideas is even better. For example, I was in the bookstore and heard Randy talking to a guy about selling a book. Turns out the guy writes Christian allegory sci-fi. Not exactly something I'd be interested in and I'm guessing we'd have different politics/religion, but the fact that he is doing it in New Albany and will probably get a lot of new people to see the value of a real local bookstore makes him an "ally" of sorts. To me, it's all about finding the ways and spaces in which we can work together to better New Albany and the Lousiville region.
12:51 PM
Brandon W. Smith said...
To get this thread back on track, two things that immediately come to mind for the public officials are:
1. Hire a code enforcement officer and give her/him some teeth.
2. Aggressively pursue completion of the Ohio River Greenway.
3. Host a forum of music/arts folks, independent businesses, etc. and coordinate some events downtown. Get some vendors involved, perhaps try to pull in some non-downtown folks/businesses to get involved (get them thinking "downtown"). If nothing else, get them talking to each other. The city doesn't have to necessarily run or sponsor the events, but it should facilitate and provide some leadership.
4. Find a way to capture $$$ and business from the Louisville casino traffic, a lot of which passess near downtown. Perhaps work with casino to do this (ads, promotions at the hotel, etc.).
Just some initial thoughts.
I'd suggest Sally Newkirk of the Carnegie Center as a potential panel member.
Sally's been involved with DNA and other leadership initiatives in the past. I'm not sure of her involvement these days, but she could bring invaluable institutional memory having worked with several city administrations and revitalization efforts.
She's also an arts professional with an understanding and appreciation of matters of creative and cultural import. The fact that she lives downtown is a bonus.
I can't speak to her level of interest in particpating but I can certainly vouch for her tenacity and integrity. Might be worth asking.
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