I sure am enjoying this thread and I'm with c.e. on
this one. I really enjoy visiting many of the river towns for dining, shopping,
etc. and not necessarily by boat either.
Red Wing supports a downtown parking ramp,
Stillwater has several paddle boats for cruises (though I was very disappointed
in the meal the time we went) and lots of wonderful shops and restaurants
downtown.
Lake City has that amazing marina for sailing on
Lake Peppin and lots of Rochester residents have slips there. Wabasha has some
individuals who are determined to wake up downtown and help it to thrive (has
anyone tried Nosh?)
When I visited Savannah, GA a few years back, their
levee was constructed similar to ours and there was an awesome art fair there
during our stay. Lots of musicians playing through the day, too. There were many
shops, bars, and restaurants in the renovated cotton exchange buildings
along the river, overlooking the levee with a huge hotel anchoring one end.
Certainly some of the shops catered to visitors (t-shirts and pralines),
but the majority of the restaurants and shops were for locals, too (toy store,
Haagen Daz, galleries, etc). I think that's what Phil refers to when he talks
about "high quality amenities" that attract people to live and shop
downtown.
Savannah was able to really draw investors and
visitors after drafting some very strict architectural and historic
preservation/renovation guidelines--they knew they had some real jewels and now
the downtown is really thriving.
Kathy Seifert
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 3:45
PM
Subject: FW: [Winona] RE: Planning
[Winona Online
Democracy]
I have never been a
big supporter of downtown development and have said so on many occasions. That
position is based on seeing the failed hopes and dreams of many small
retailers who hope to prosper only to realize that retail and tourism have
high failure rates. Winona, long before the big
box was around, is and remains a tough retail market to succeed in and more
important to make enough to pay employees and one self for the long hours and
energy required to pay their bills. I hope that as the plan unfolds that
the dreamers will also look at the revenue these merchants will need to
survive and better yet prosper. While dreams at this stage are cheap
particularly for those who sole income is not dependent on the success of
their business and possible loss of their entire life savings to get
started. I hope I am wrong but until there is a significant economic
draw like the casino did for Dubuques survival we are
spinning our wheels. Can Shakespeare survive without grants and
gifts? The downtown businesses needed to create the economic growth will
not have that luxury. Will the planners run the hard numbers to show the
economic reality of what it will take or will the taxpayers be assessed for
the underestimated financial costs as public infrastructure is build to
support a plan that fails to yield adequate results.
When I read in the
paper that there is a one year payback on ethanol plants I can only think that
that may be a far better investment than retail and tourism could every hope
to achieve and one that might even fuel the economic engine further and
faster.
Paul
Double
-----Original
Message-----
From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Jim Galewski
Sent: Monday, April 24, 2006 1:13
PM
To: Phil Carlson; Winona
Online Democracy
Subject: Re:
[Winona] RE: Planning
Phil/all
I haven't been paying close attention,
but I think the issue isn't about studies and a comprehensive plan. I agree
with you that the city has had some fine planning and studies done. The
current comp plan has a lot of input - and that's good.
The fly in the
ointment is that the city has a track record of shelving studies and voting
regardless what the plan advises.
I recall a parking study that had
just been put up on the shelf when a bank in town wanted to buy the city's
central downtown parking lot. They swapped land for parking a block away
and justified selling the property without the required hearings - calling the
land at 4th and Center "marginal property."
I don't think the parking
study was looked at as the city moved forward and got the land
sold.
It's not about having a good plan.... It's about having a plan
and following it. The city tends to get the "plan" part right- It just has
terrible follow through.
Jim Galewski
From: "Phil Carlson"
<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Date:
Mon, 24 Apr 2006 10:13:51 -0500
To: "Winona Online Democracy"
<[email protected]>
Subject:
[Winona] RE: Planning
[Winona Online Democracy]
There
have been several posts recently bemoaning the lack of planning in Winona
and I'm not sure if folks are aware that there is a major planning effort
underway as we speak - a comprehensive plan for the city, including growth
areas; a downtown revitalization plan; and a riverfront revitalization plan.
The city has hired a talented and experienced consultant team, URS
from Minneapolis, to head up this effort in conjunction with city staff.
The project started a couple months ago. Those of you who follow my
posts know I am in the planning consultant business myself and our firm
(DSU) put in a proposal on the project, were short-listed, but were not
selected. In fact, 17 firms responded - a whopping number in my
experience, evidence of the interest in Winona's planning efforts - and 4
firms were short-listed to submit more detailed
proposals.
There is a 13-member steering
committee, advisory to the City Council, and several sub-committees dealing
with various issues. All these meetings are open to the public, some will be
designed specifically to gather public input. The entire planning
effort will take most of this year. Joe Barbeau, Assistant City
Planner, is coordinating the effort on the city's side. Details,
including agendas and minutes, are easy to find on the city's website -
click the Comprehensive Plan Update box.
As a
planner with almost 30 years in the field I can say that the
city is in good hands with the URS team. Understand that this is like
the manager at Chevrolet praising Ford, but I have known Dave Showalter and
Julie Farnham, and their work, for many years. They are experienced,
smart, personable, and have been through this kind of effort with dozens of
communities over the years. This is not to say it will be easy.
Formulating common goals and making decisions about the future can be
excruciating, but what's the alternative? I would urge all those who
are interested in the future of Winona to find out about this effort, attend
the meetings, follow its progress, and make your views known in constructive
fashion along the way.
Phil Carlson,
Mpls
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