For those of you who don't read Chris Schnurr's blog (I know there's one or two of you out there) I wanted to point you in that direction today.Chris is keeping tabs on Windsor's city council and their plans for the City Centre West lands. Luckily, there is one city councillor who is also keeping the pressure on the Mayor and our previous committments to develop an Urban Village on those valuable parcels of downtown real estate. Check out Chris' continuing committment to the medium of video podcasting to see how Councillor Halberstadt is continuing to keep the issue of our Urban Village plans in the public realm and reminding people that we have already dedicated significant resources to this redevelopment model.
We need to join together as a community and make our voices heard as to our feelings regarding furthering the development of the Urban Village and how important it is to revitalizing our downtown core. Be sure to make plans to attend Bleak or Blessed, a forum featuring keynote speaker Matt Fischer, CEO of the Windsor Essex County Economic Development Commission, to give your comments and suggestions as to what you think Windsor should do to survive and flourish in the economic crisis we are currently experiencing - and be sure to include your thoughts on the Urban Village. The organizers plan to record ideas generated from the forum and compile them in a report, which will be presented to all three levels of government -- the city, the province and the feds. The forum, which is free of charge, will take place Wednesday at All Saints', 330 City Hall Square, from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information, call 519-253-8001.
(this plug has nothing to do with the fact that Chris Schnurr helped me to access the audio of my interview with AM 800 yesterday or plugged Scaledown on his blog today :)
25 comments:
Funny how the only councilor who cares isn't even the ward councilor. Where are the ward two councilors on this one?
Residents are far more important to the revitalization of downtown that another institutional building...
Agreed Andrew. Why does the city continue to do different than what other cities have done, which produced great results. Just look across the border and see how Detroit has attracted new poeple downtown by bulidng urban villages all around their downtown to great success.
I am not sure about anyone else but St. Clair college is made up of a majority of Widnsor and Essex county resients who already have homes and live nearby. What impact if any will it have on a downtown to expand that campus there? Students done't have large amounts of income so what are they going to purchase? A coffee and chips perhaps?
ScaleDown should also include thatthe city is not building the urban village only tendering the proposal to developers so the cost to tax payers is very minimal compared to an urban campus for either UofW and/or St.Clair college. Plus, the tax payer gets to reap the benefits that will come with houses and mixed used buildings in the form of land taxes that they currently are NOT receiving.
I too have to ask, where are the ward 2 councillors who wree so gung-ho about this 2 years ago. Do they too have a bout of ADHD that seems to inflict City Hall, and can't keep thier eye on the true prize?
Just throwing it iout there again on the urban village... I've mentioned before.. the abandoned rail bed within the site, visible in the aerial shot, this would make an ideal location for future Rail/Via Station.
Right now the rail study has the new via station targeted for Crawford and Tecumseh which is kind of ridiculous. Via should be located closer still to the core and the Urban Village has the space.
The VIA station is an interesting concept - which could couple as a light rail station in the future to connect the suburbs with the core.
It just seems that something as important as a rail station should be front and centre in our downtown and not hidden away at crawford/Tecumseh. Is it that unreasonble of an idea to sell? - Put the VIA smack dab in the middle of the core! I can imagine stepping off a train in any city and not being in the centre of things. Is there some huge reason why Windsor cant't make this happen? The rail study is done and already needs to be redone.
Ha ha ha ha! I just read some of your "fans" comments on Halberstadt's blog! Hilarious! The trolls are commenting on you behaving like our current city council when they don't print their names or email addresses themselves!
Don't take the bait, guys. Bloggers deal with these "trolls" everywhere, and all they want to do is to incite flamewars. It's an easy position to take when you live anonymously in the shadows.
You guys are doing a great job at opening up the discussion around these issues and I am happy to play a part when I can.
Is SDW just learning about the Bleak or Blessed Forum today?!!? Is today the first time its in the Windsor Star?... one days notice. would've liked to have gone..... Is this how SDW gets the word out?
I 100% agree with the train station. I was going to post a comment that was identical to Chris Schnurr's about the light rail but the network at my work was blocking out the word verification image. you beat me to it chris! :)
http://hamiltonlightrail.com/
As a matter of fact, Anon, yes - today is the first I've heard of the Bleak and Blessed forum.
Believe it or not, building the network required to do this "blog-thing" takes a lot of time, and everything that we learn about we have to dig for. We are not yet (close, but not yet) at the stage where we actively have people coming to us with information or issuing us press releases like the mainstream media or the other blogs that have been around for years.
So, I would ask that you cut us a little slack. We are working hard to get to the point where we have the inside track on stories and events. Until then, please bear with us and help us get to that stage.
chris, you're just to darn polite
I say we go armed with copies of the "smart Choices" repot. anyone whose interested in tomorrows meeting should read that report.
Whats interesting is Matt Fischers attendance. While I applaud his attendance, he's has his hands full on the current agenda and I am sceptical about his ability to listen to new ideas.
If he could I'd tell him that the Development commission doesn't have room to promote local independant businesses outside the manufacturing sector.
That our Development commission should take the stance of Richard florida who wrote an article this past weekend about developing the service industry and converting it from part time or minimum wage jobs into fully paid carreers
Good point Mark - I wonder what the downtown restaurants, bars and retail outlets pay their service staff? Hopefully above minimum wage.
Ah, nice dig, were it only so easy as to just pay more wages. Its has been about and will always be about generating value that pays for higher wages.
No they don't pay more than minimum wage. However Staff training can enable them to make more in tips.
Cornell University has a hospitality school and San Diego's HRP has partnered with their university.
Yes! Where was Jones and Postma when this issue came up! Silent as usual!
I have and am living in the core of this city for eighteen years and walk to and from work every day! I don't own a car either! I love cities, I love urbane living, most things I need on a daily basis I can get by shopping in the core. During the week day the core looks busy for what is left but I would like all of you to walk around the core on the weekend what a desolate place it is, it almost reminds me of the new book, "The World without us."
We don't need anymore parking! Parking is not an issue as stated PERCEPTION is everything. For one, I'm happy that the new arena wasn't built in the Urban Village area but I am not the least happy where it was built! Sports arenas don't create a community they're are more like malls, a specific destination for a specific activity, when neither are needed they sit empty as the parking lots around them blocks from Ouellette with nothing to in between.
The Engineering building is not the faculty for the core but the arts and performing arts are! Why? Look at what happen to Markham street and the Village in Toronto in the 1960's, Soho in New York! The professional artists looking for space to create moved into derelict areas for studio space to manufacture their art, then the commercial art galleries came, then the groupies followed, then the up scale shops for the wanna be seen types, then came the ever increasing lofts, condos etc.
A new railway station isn't the answer either as suggested for the cut. Think of the shunting of those trains, their noise, pollution and like the arena and new bus station to far from the core and the Urban Village. Again the railroad station will be like the arena and mall, a specific destination for a specific use and what about parking and the service trucks coming and going..AGAIN!
But I have an idea and it comes from what is happening in more and more U.S. cities and in some major Canadian cites, as they rediscover the need for an urbane city core. Why not anchor the UV and the core with a new central public library.
What better way to do something for EVERY citizen, from the new comer to the retirees looking for the latest read and everyone in between, needing the internet, the business person needing WiFi, students, public and high school to university needing research resources. Public Libraries today aren't what you thought yesterday! Read the Pew reports on how libraries have reinvented themselves to the 21st century, especially what new central libraries are doing to American cities. Libraries are creating communities. Retiring boomers are making increasing demands on their local public libraries like no other generation according to numbers coming out of the cities that have built new core libraries or are intending to.
We all want a Smart, Creative and Innovative city, as the ancient industries are being gutted in this city, it is time to build for the future with a lasting symbol to the world.. a new central library that is properly funded to meet the future, not what the city is doing now in gutting the library system because the mayor can't get his way with the board...another urinary olympics!
This past Saturday the Toronto Star had a very in-depth article on Mississauga and what that city wants for their new city core: "Because great cities have short blocks and lively sidewalks, Mississauga wants a downtown grid that lures pedestrains--and Amacon's Parkside Village will help launch that vision." Headline of article: Beyond Density.
http://www.thestar.com/article/296554
In the article Mississauga counts on having a vibrant central library as part of it's core.
Build it, they will come.
"That our Development commission should take the stance of Richard florida who wrote an article this past weekend about developing the service industry and converting it from part time or minimum wage jobs into fully paid carreers"
Providing the link to Richard Florida's article would be helpful.
The only people that can turn minimum wage jobs into higher paying jobs are the owners of said businesses.
I've lived in several major cities - and with one exception - Aqua Restaurant in Toronto where dinner for two would cost $350, I've alway been paid minimum wage. At that restaurant I made $10 an hour.
So I'd be curious to see what Mr. Florida's ideas are for changing this.
Personally, I'd rather see our EDC focus on diversification and setting up the structures that support this. Wages, based upon what I've read of Mr. Fischer's development work, are the least of his concerns.
URban -
From what I can understand, even though I think the bus terminal was a poor location - the intent was to create foot traffic. It is a poor location because it actually draws people out of the core.
VIA Station downtown? London has one. And there are new technologies ie/Hybrid Diesel-Electric locomotives - run it on electricity until clear of residential areas.
The station could also double to serve as a light rail hub - I don't think we have the population to support that just yet - with with the county growing rapidly - I would imagine in 20-25 years it could be feasible to pursue it - but for that to happen, some of rail lines need to be preserved. Once the rail is ripped up, it is less likely politicians will replace it because of the excessive cost.
Just my thoughts.
Chris, we had interurban light rail serving A'Burg to Windsor to Tecumseh, and also out to Essex and beyond, terminating in Kingsville and Leamington. One hundred years ago. The population back then was a fraction of what it is now. Population is not an obstacle IMHO. If they could do it then, we could do it now.
Jahn, just as our downtown was much larger back then as it is today even though our population is much higher today. Who committed these "crimes" against Windsorites?
As for the rail cut, do what was planned (though I still believe it is owned by someone in London, perhaps Eddie's pal Farhi?) and build a canal. How beautiful and aesthetically pleasing would that be?
Think BIG, reach for the stars and dreamof endless possibilites and a person cannot fail. Do the opposite and you can see what happens, just look at Windsor for the tell-tale proof.
Andrew from IM and I are going to that forum of Bleak or Blessed, is anyone else going?
Would've liked to have gone. Sorry if I misplaced blame to SDW for the short notice. The Dev. Commission didn't do such a good job at puting the word out perhaps.
I'm heading over as well, Dave, and so is Mark. Can I suggest to anyone interested that we meet up at the Timmy's across the street from City Hall at around 6:00(ish) for coffee and an ice-breaker prior to going? The event begins at 7:00. We'll probably need it with these arctic winds that have blown in overnight.
Chris S, how close to the core would transit need to be? The bus sta./quonsethut is 3 block from ouellette. I would like to see a Via and future LRT be a closer neighbour to the core aswell. Potentially stepping off a train from Montreal and seeing the river, being 3 blocks from the bus terminal and another 3 blocks from ouellette, everything is would be in close proximity.
Dave, not sure if a canal is enough, i'd rather see any one of those asphalt parking lagoons on the river dug out and developped into marinas. The transient boat traffic is seriously overlooked and this too should an attraction for downtown. City marina is too far away. That traffic should be redirected to downtown.
Now, I started thinking what does Windsor need, in say, a 6 block radius (12 block dia.)... A list could inlclude some ideas already stated, in addition to dense residential:
Library, VIA, Transit, Marina, City bldg, Prov/Fed bldg, Cultural bldgs/art galleries/etc...theres more...the basics..
Some exist now some need to developped.
I hope the city does't give all the space away before get it covers the basics.
Chris, I can be there around 6:30PM. Look for a guy in a leather bomber jacket with a wool collar and short curly hair. How will I know who you are?
Sporto,
A marina is a nice thought but lets look at the consequences. Should any boat be vandalized at anytime, I am 100% certain that a chain link fance would be put around the entire marina and access would only be granted to those with boats. In a nutshell it will become very unsightly and not nearly enticing enough. Also noise pollution from the boats and the ongoing partying that accompanies most marina's. I now we used to have a boat ; )
I like your list of downtown attractions. I would also include the science centre and at least a museum or two. Also the redevelopment of the Armouries into a concet hall for the symphony would be a wonderful addition.
The only thing missing which is the most ciritcal part is people and a decent place to live. That hardly exists in the surrounding downtown area but for a few very small pockets.
Dave - I'll have a red carnation in my lapel :)
Andrew knows who I am if you are showing up with him. I will have a black toque on, with a tuft of brown ponytail sticking out the back to complement my red beard.
I stand out in a crowd:)
See you around 6:30PM. It will be good to finally meet you as I was ill for the bloggers meeting last week.
Dave, all I'm saying is downtown should have water access in some way, maybe opposite the casino. You're already saying no before you explore an idea. City Marina and other marinas are located opposite condos now - no issues. In fact people want to be live there-close to a marina/yacht club. Chainlink is not the only way to proved security either. Windsor is surrounded by water- where's the access? Windsor more busy tearing rail lines and turning its back on the natural waterways. Unforntunate.
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