This seems to be a logical move for several reasons:

1) yearly upkeep/utility costs are approx. $100,000

2) little to no parking demand exists downtown currently, at least not enough that it can't be handled with existing lots

3) the garage is an eyesore that divides downtown now that the mall is removed, limiting access to the YMCA, Manchester Hotel, City building, and Arts center

4) many people don't think the garage is safe, suggesting crime occurs within

 

There are also a few concerns:

1) the initial cost in more than $1 million, a big number for a cash-strapped city

2) the fate of the remaining property. Will the city plant grass? Will we get more parking lots downtown? Development is years away.

3) exposing the rear of buildings on the north side of central. Many of these buildings have service and loading areas that are not very attractive, perhaps uglier than the garage. The Dohn's building is actually built into the garage.

 

All-in-all, I think demolition is the best alternative. It will make Middletown seem less cosmopolitian though. Go down to Hamilton and they have two parking garages downtown. Even Uptown Oxford has a parking garage. We also just lost a parking garage at the Middletown hospital site, so this maybe the last one in the entire city.

 

 

Support, thank you for my morning laugh.  I got a real kick out of the Cosmopolitian comment.

 

 

 

Wipe it all clean and start over.

Let's be honest.

These aging structures aren't utilized and are money pits, out-dated/unattractive.

 

I just hate to see another very expensive wave of $$ thrown at a very disfunctional area formerly known as downtown. Do we actually have ANY real business center of our city currently?

 

Face it--city planning,Council/admin and ED have turned us into a mess in every part of the city.

No businesses or meaningful(or less) jobs = no money to spend in a seriously struggling retail environment for the few businesses entities left.

 

No help or plan for EXISTING businesses, however tremendous effort and expense towards a cash-loaded oil co. so they can put retail in a depressed area where many existing retailers(Rite Aid,Mid own Drive Thru/service station, Casablanca Market, D's and Dillman Foods) are fighting for their lives with no support from ED. Then the city absorbs dead real estate(Office Outfitter's, Shamrock, Whistle Stop) taking Duncan off the hook there. Demo the Jack's center/Revolos block(at whose expense?) then planning construction for Duncan Oil.

 

Hmmm........

wasteful wrote:  Support, thank you for my morning laugh.  I got a real kick out of the Cosmopolitian comment.

Wasteful, you and I rarely agree but on this you are very correct!

SupportMiddletown wrote: It will make Middletown seem less cosmopolitian though.

Support, what is the Potential of Middletown? Please tell me. I see NO potential. All I ever do on this site is to try to promote reasonableness and help push the Idea of allowing Middletown the dignity of a respectful Death. Trying to "save" Middletown is a pipe Dream. There is nothing to save! Demographics and poor Regional Development  Planning (poor in the sense that long term consequences were NOT considered) has made it impossible for Middletown to ever again be any thing but a nice Hamlet (if we do it right!).

As to your reference to Hamilton and Oxford having Parking Garages, MU is obvious for Oxford and "County Seat" should also speak for Hamilton. Without the County Business being done in Hamilton , it would be much worse and look more like Middletown.

I realize the you mean well and all, but people like you don't realize that you are just putting off the enevitable and providing encouragement to waste City Funds that could be used to bring about the Dignity I have hopes for.

My answer for Downtown? Demo it ALL and then sell the land to the highest bidder. If we end up with Residential homes on Central in the former DT area, that would be much better than continuing to subsidize non-viable Businesses that only survive with City or HUD Funding!

 

 

I often hear comments that we should demo all of downtown. This is just not a logical solution. Most simply, we can't afford that. Acquiring that amount of property would be in the hundreds of millions. Additionally, what do we do with the successful structures, such as the Manchester, Beau Verre, 5/3, First Financial, etc, etc. You can't have this stuff dotted in between sprawl.

 

I hope we can continue to think of real solution for downtown, not a 1960's "tear it all down" logic which ignores so much logic.

 

That is why we were all laughing Support, it had to be a joke.

 

I have no issue with developing downtown as long as the City lets private funds do it.  The city can't mow the grass in a park for pete sake due to lack of funds.   

 

Pretty much trading one gas station for another, and adding a city-subsidized convenience store(to a cash-rich out-of-town oil co.) at the expense of another service station and 5 other small markets in the area.

Still no increase in residential in that area, particularly residential with disposable income.

 

Will be interested to hear the ED impact study on these other similar businesses, and how talks to help them have been going.

 

Did I mention that we have a huge scrapyard in the middle of all of this?

 

Sweet deal for Duncan since they couldn't give away the Office ?Outfitter's building and surrounding properties. After acquiring those properties, Duncan couldn't pull off their end of that transformation.

 

Will this cost the city between 1-2 million?

From what "fund"?

Presentation--then emergency legislation for something of this magnitude thrown out for the first time on the same night?

Should this be saved for the NEXT Council?

 

 

Then again--maybe it will work.