[Winona Online Democracy] I have been reading and listening to this controversy for quite some time now. I find that it feeds into a more general discussion that has been going on in Winona for decades - namely what to do downtown.
I believe that Walmart (and Menards and Target and Big K and Shopko and all the others) are a separate issue from "downtown." While it is important not to lose our individual identity as a community, it is also important to "fit" with the expectations of people from our local area as well as the expectations of those from outside. Let me explain: >From the retail and hotel/restaurant perspective a community needs two identities: 1. The first identity is that of familiarity and comfort. That is what we need near the main highways. That identity, precisely because it is comfortable and known, is the identity that "hooks" travelers and shoppers. When I first traveled to the west coast to visit my daughter I stayed in Grand Junction Colorado. Why? Because I saw several "familiar" establishments in close proximity to each other. I knew that a Holiday Inn would offer nice accomodations. I knew about Wendy's and MacDonalds and all the rest. They were familiar. I knew about Target or Big K (I also knew about Walmart but won't shop there - a personal choice.) Those were the "hooks." They got me to stop in Grand Junction. This part of Grand Junction is pretty "American" but not very "Grand Junction." 2. When I checked into the motel in Grand Junction, they told me about their downtown. The "visitor center" was a mere two blocks away. At the visitor center they told me how to get to the downtown section. It was in this beautiful downtown section that the real "Grand Junction" shined through. Even though it was the "known" and the "comfortable" that got me to stop in Grand Junction, it was the uniqueness of the city that got me to stay a spell. It is the uniqueness that keeps me stopping there now. This town, in the middle of Colorado, has a downtown like none I have seen anywhere else. It is loaded with artwork and sculpture and shops and restaurants. So - I believe we need both a "hook" (call it bait) and some "meat" in Winona. We are finally learning how to put bait on our hooks (although the visitors' center is located much too far away from the hotels). Now we have to learn how to put some meat into the downtown. Frankly, if we get people to go downtown right now they will be very disappointed. It won't be worth the trip and it's not the fault of the "big boxes." They will have done their job. They will have gotten people to turn off the highway before they got to LaCrosse or Rochester, but those people will have to eat at Wendys (if we get one) because if they go downtown, they will likely ask "Where's the beef?" Why does Winona struggle so with this issue? I believe it is because we have not been able to put together a coordinated plan based upon a common vision. We do a lot of good things, but they seem to be in isolation. We also fail to do many obvious things For instance, 1. Why does the cross country ski path end at Holzinger Lodge instead of near Sugarloaf (within walking distance of the many hotels in that area)? 2. Why did the City (or Chamber) not purchase the Winona Knits store on the east end of Lake Winona in order to have a visitors' center within walking distance of those same hotels and retail establishments? Instead, we are making a major expansion to our present visitors' center that, from a tourist viewpoint, is in the middle of knowhere and not as visible from the highway. 3. Why do we not have a protected bicycle path on the east side of Mankato Avenue? There is very little room to ride in the street from the motels to the first traffic light at Target to get to the west side of the street. It's dangerous! 4. Why has the Wilke Steamboat Center been allowed to fall into a tragic state of disrepair? It is an embarassement! 5. Why have we not established a historic district downtown with special incentives and regulations governing building use and renovation - maybe with tax incentives? I believe that in the downtown area it is critical that we begin to develop a comprehensive plan. We need many small shops - even if they are only open during the summer months. We need good restaurants. We need a vision for renovation. We need to define what it means to be "Winona" and to use that definition to fulfill our vision. We need to decide if we want retail and tourist dollars. The major retail developments along the highway can define their own identities. They can be as "American" as they wish. Downtown and Menards are two separate issues. Menards shouldn't look like the Choate building. Same with Walmart. They need to look "familiar." Finally, Winona as a community needs to follow through with it's plan and vision once they have created one. As a community we need to tell the world about our downtown. We need to provide cheap and frequent transportation from perimeter retail areas to that downtown. And we need to keep downtown and other tourist attractions clean and in a good state of repair. Down river along highway 14/61 there is a sign that advertises "historic downtown Winona." I say to you, "Where's the beef?" -Leslie Hittner _______________________________________________ This message was posted to Winona Online Democracy All messages must be signed by the senders actual name. No commercial solicitations are allowed on this list. To manage your subscription or view the message archives, please visit http://mapnp.mnforum.org/mailman/listinfo/winona Any problems or suggestions can be directed to mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] If you want help on how to contact elected officials, go to the Contact page at http://www.winonaonlinedemocracy.org
