In Whittier, our NRP planning for Nicollet Avenue has
constantly focused on our connection to downtown. The
streetscape plan kept that in mind, as will the new
land use planning effort underway in Stevens Square
and Whittier along the Nicollet corridor.
The "Eat Street" campaign as well as the "Arts and
Eats" trolley was centered on our connection to the
convention center and the downtown hotels.
The "Avenue of the Arts" project on 3rd Avenue is
intended to bridge downtown to the "jewel" which is
the Mpls. Institute of Arts and the Whittier
neighborhood.
Being passionate about neighborhood development in
ones own turf need not mean that you are sacrificing
attention to the core downtown area. The health of
both neighborhoods and downtown are interdependent and
should be looked at as such.
I do work in neighborhoods close to downtown that are
working hard to rejuvenate their neighborhoods and
become a place where people will find the conveniences
they need to live there. Conveniences such as a
grocery store. The people in Elliot Park and Phillips
have no grocery store within their geographic
boundaries, and I am not talking about a convenience
store. Phillips alone has over 19,000 people according
to the 2000 census numbers. I don't know what Elliot
Parks is exactly, but, I am sure between Phillips and
Elliot Park they have the population to sustain at
least one grocery store.
An important strategy in the Elliot Park NRP plan was
to get a restaurant in the neighborhood. Elliot Park
struggles from the effects of being nearly 25% surface
parking. A situation caused from downtown development
that did not take into consideration the affects it
would have on a surrounding neighborhood.
My ramble here is intended to point out that we need
both a strong downtown and strong neighborhoods.
Particularly those neighborhoods that encircle
downtown and tend to be the ones that suffer the most
from downtown sprawl. Furthermore, we shouldn't have
to sacrifice one for the other.
Barb Lickness
Whittier
Ward 6
City Council Candidate
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