"DON'T STOP BELIEVIN'" journey
Again?
This Friday morning after retrieving my New-Herald from the snow. My eyes came across another feel good downtown Painesville streetscape story. This time it was a color photo of two young ladies getting a pedicure on Main Street. Now Pedicures, before Postcards of Painesville and throw some popcorn in for good measure. This will all save Downtown Painesville's future? I like Cathy Bieterman, but how does she manage to keep a straight face? I couldn't.
Let's talk about the five districts of downtown. The EMPTY Harvey district. The EMPTY hospital district.. The EMPTY hotel district. The EMPTY Grand River district. Well that not fair that empty was planned. With the helping hand of Mother Nature. If it wasn't for the Shamakian family we would have another empty spot on Mentor Ave.
The most important district? $1,300,000.00 that was spent there and I'll go out on a limb here .. pure waste .
Those businesses on Main St. have benefited the most over the past from all this streetscape crap.
Still not completed? Landscaping? Don't forget to repair the street curbs taken out by the snow plows this winter. AND one more magical question... who will paint the former Dollar Bank Building? Maybe Grant money? Maybe General Fund money? Great I got a house you can paint for me. Come over I will cut your fingernails after your done.
Wonder if those young ladies went shoe shopping downtown after there pedicures? Never mind.
The Test.
Find someone who hasn't been around awhile and take them downtown and ask them, "Well what do you think?" Answer,... about what? Streetscape! Really haven't noticed any change, but the hotel's gone. Hey we're upscale now. Upscale of what?
Then take them to eat at one of Painesville's newest restaurants. They ask why is the garbage dumpster out in front next to the sidewalk? Well someone at City Hall agreed that was the best place for it. Can't wait until a hot summer day when Fasson workers are waiting for the light at Richmond and get a whiff of that aroma! That along with customers first impression and whiff. Ang can we just go to the Depot to eat? O.K. I get your drift... I mean whiff. Maybe all Painesville residents should leave their Waste Management tote at the corner of their front yards next to the sidewalk? We know someone under the "Golden Dome" would approve of the placement .
Pessimist? Maybe. You might be right but just once I'd love to pick up the paper and see 100 new jobs coming to Painesville. Now that's a front page story!
posted by terminator1 @ 4:55 PM
12 Comments
12 Comments:
On the other hand, the feel-good, fluff stories in the News-Herald about downtown Painesville can be considered progress; for years, the only time one could find a story about Painesville in the local rag is if it involved a crime, fire or accident.
Interesting in today's N/H there a story about building a downtown in Concord.
I don't know, I'm not totally down on the Streetscape project. As I've mentioned before, while it seems like a huge waste-of-money beautification scheme, urban planners swear they eventually promote business development. I don't know why they would make stuff like that up. It's just that with Painesville there was so much damage done over the decades beginning with the grand "urban renewal" plan of the 60's that it's hard not to feel totally cynical. Hopefully in the intervening forty years they've made some progress in figuring out what works and what doesn't! Hopefully.
9:48 Hope your right but lets face it a cottage industry has opened up for firms like City Architecture, and planners like Mr. Volpe.
Get the Grant money and we'll spend it.
I viewed the presentation on Painesville's future. It was like Disneyland on steroids.
Odd Pedicures and Postcards weren't mentioned then?
Let's not forget the white lights campaign on the trees on Main St. what was that $6,000 shot?
One-way streets, closing Main St. between Veterans Park and St. Clair St. At this point it's throw anything at the wall and hope something sticks.
Soon our town will be "surrounded" by commerce, Someone should ask why.
It's refreshing to know your opinion hasn't changed since Rita McMahon left. Seems you just picked up where you left off with a new city manager. Appears nothing can ever be enough or please you, sir.
5:12 What blog. are you reading? I believe Tony Carson is a 100% improvement over the former CM. Now watch a council meeting and than come back here and tell me about the current council displays in direction for him?
Plus it will take two decades before we might see any improvement you can't let things go and expect to fix them in a year. Carson inherited Streetscape. I wonder if he goes to bed scratching his head?
Maybe instead of a CM we should have asked for someone who does everything and our duty is only to hand out awards?
am reading this blog:
1. "Well someone at City Hall agreed that was the best place for it. We know someone under the "Golden Dome" would approve of the placement".
2 "Now Pedicures, before Postcards of Painesville and throw some popcorn in for good measure. This will all save Downtown Painesville's future"? Painesville insults
3. "Streetscape 1,300,000.00" -bashing constantly
4."Let's talk about the five districts of downtown. Wmpty"
5. "shoe shopping downtown" (No shopping downtown to speak of)
I counted 5 irritants of yours and you say 100percent improved?
What are you reading? With all the complaints where are the improvements you want? How long has McMahon been gone? Where are the improvements?
12:29 Simple answer, not long enough. Rome wasn't built in a day. Heck it took 40 years or better to destroy it.
My irritants as you call them all were part of her and last council-presidents vision of a Downtown Painesville. As to forget that empty spot where a hospital once provided income to Paiunesville.
AS far as the dumpster someone who approved that great idea should be taken to the woodshed.
Improvement? The most important one to me. Mr. Carson has never lied or told me a half-truth. Can't say that for the last administration.
Just would like to know did Painesville
pass a new rule they will not give a job to anyone who is a smoker? and will test them. If this is true how about PCLS? Term do you know anything about this?
that you know of.....
9:17 I believe you are correct. This policy is due to heathcare costs. Along with all properties having a smoke-free enviroment.
I do not know about testing.
10:26 As far as I know.
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