When it comes to the number of units at Heritage Park, my platform is definitely that we should LU1C3 TH3 JU1C3
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This community has all sorts of fantastical conversations about downtown baseball stadiums, 600 ft. towers, re-routed streets and pedestrian access, rail service, missing urban amenities, relocated museums, etc. None of these conversations are as grounded in real possibility as the discussion to restore the city’s named hotel. I mean, the building is there. It has a recorded history to use as its guide. It’s something that can actually happen.
The only things that hold it back involve addressing solvable issues around providing affordable housing for residents that must be relocated, but when even talking about that becomes an issue that creates an immediate set of presumptions that result in defining others’ intentions, then it’s obvious to me that it actually cannot happen. Never mind that many other things that get talked about here aren’t likely to happen.
I suppose that it’s also going to be toxic to talk about Glenwood Towers as well, despite the fact that the building is a total piece of crap & its residents deserve better.
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I think this is something that often gets missed when we talk about affordable housing, especially in progressive circles. We can get so hung up on the concept of displacement that we ultimately end up forcing low-income residents to remain in crappy conditions.
I would absolutely hate to see residents of the Sir Walter or Glenwood Towers to be pushed out into an unwalkable suburban neighborhood with barely any amenities. Alternatively, if they are given the option to move into new downtown apartments (RUS Bus, for example), then this turns into a win-win.
TL;DR: if we can provide improved affordable housing in downtown, the narrative shifts from displacement to an upgrade.
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You mean like sidewalks and bus shelters? They do seem like a rather fantastical idea, don’t they?
Anyways, who cares what the building is being used for, at least its still standing.
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The renovation/refit of the bottom floor is coming along. Do we know what the plan is for this space?