MR. MAYOR ITS TIME TO STEP UP TO THE PLATE!

Add me to the list of people who would LOVE to live downtown but find housing prices entirely prohibitive. Our house in Germantown is small, but it's bigger than some of those condos and still a small fraction of the price. We're centrally located, have good restaurants, bars, and Kroger within walking distance, and we have a great mix of older people, families with kids, young creative types, etc. I love our neighborhood and I would love to see downtown housing with a similar flavor and price point.

Old Louisville is another great example. I went to dinner at the home of one of my professors a few months ago and she had a huge, absolutely gorgeous house; it was just a few blocks from the studio apartment where I lived my first year of grad school for $395 a month.

Bring back Dave Armstrong. He did more for downtown in 4 years that Jerry did in 13+.

Excellent point, Ron. Please bring back David Armstrong.

Jeremy Coker

"Literally, LIGHT UP MAIN STREET AND MARKET STREET!"

If it's a suggestion I wholeheartedly agree, that would be a nice touch. New lighting similar to the lights along Second Street would look very nice along the Market/Main area.

I sincerely appreciate your passion and think this idea;

"First, I really believe that it is time for all of the local owners to band together and launch a East Main/Mark community campaign that focuses on bringing more people in that direction"

Is a great one.

The questions I have are as follows.
What type of suggestions do you have for "Mr. Mayor"?
What can he do to help?
Is your frustration truly aimed at the Mayor?
Or do you feel it is more a City Government as a whole issue?

WOW! I had a lot to catch up on this morning with this thread. First and foremost I am glad to see that I am not the only one who is frustrated. Let me say that I do understand that development and revitalization does not just happen over night and I never expected it to. To use the old cliche “Rome was not built in a day.” I wanted to try to address Jeremy’s questions because I did just throw this out there but it was kind of like a boiling point, not anger at all just I wanted to let it out some how.

It is not a frustration aimed at just the Mayor but he is our city’s leader and our city’s representative and it should start at the top. I don’t think that we expect the Mayor to just focus all of his attention in the East Main/Mark direction and that would show bias (and we wouldn’t want our leader to look biased) and so many of our communities deserve equal amount of attention. I am frustrated that he sold 4th Street in such a way publicly that anyone outside our city could basically perceive it as the epicenter of our entertainment value to them and unfortunately some of those visitors who might not be as adventurous and set out to explore a new city migt view it as the only value of entertainment Louisville has to offer. It is sad because it happens all of the time. Am I wrong or did we not stretch city limits several years ago? And for all I know, he might have plans to promote the different causes in our communities but citizens need to hear it not just read it in the paper on a 10, 20, 30 year time line. He needs to show he cares about every aspect of this city, which I am sure he does but it is not being conveyed and people are driven by emotion. I would almost dare to say that he is viewed as an untouchable Mayor now.

I don’t want to stray too far from my initial post because I am truly concerned about every aspect of our city but my focus at the moment is targeted within a radius that includes the parallel 15 Blocks East to West Main/Market Streets out to Broadway.

My first suggestion to the Mayor, LIGHT UP THIS CITY!!! I did mean that literally when I stated it in my initial post.

Publicly applaud and promote local business owners who took that chance by coming into the heart of the city and encourage the patronage of those businesses every time he is in front of the camera and is speaking about the vitality of this city.

Make our citizens aware of the difference it makes to visitors when they come to this city and they see the love, excitement and pride we take in keeping it unique and original.

Make more public appearances, shake more hands, patronize as many local businesses as possible. I know he is busy but a once a month community session doesn’t reach very far.

*These are easy suggestions but that is what a leader does, he sets forth an example and he needs to show more support in ways that people see and hear.

I am not finger pointing or placing blame and this should not be viewed as such.

Now, as a community we need to make our voices heard and truly bring a model to the city of what we see and want for the future. I am all for us forming our own plan of action and presenting our vision to the city government. THEY HAVE TO LISTEN we are the ones who put them in office for that purpose. The city pays a lot for people to go to other cities who have done or are going through a process of revitalization. Had the city come to us in the beginning (just having town hall meetings doesn’t cut it) it would have made a world of difference with more community involvement beyond just opening up small businesses. The city might have researched a little more and focused on Louisvillians first and then just quite possibly many of those overpriced residential areas might not all be so overpriced and actually filled by this time and investors/ developers could already be starting on new projects instead of sitting on them. I don’t know what statistics were given to those who in the beginning were just potential investors/developers but as everyone can see now, something did not add up. Kudos to them for also taking the chance and actually kick starting the renewal and I am sure had given the opportunity before many of them would have loved to have also been able to calculate and consider the true community of Louisville’s vision of what we want for our city.

Everyone from the Mayor down to little ole me wants Louisville to thrive economically, culturally and be a city known for its unique diversity and character and a place where people want to reside but how that goal is obtained is another story and differences of opinion. Somehow we have to at least try to put them on the same page.

We can talk the talk but I would like to get the walk too and if anyone has had experience or is interested in putting something together even if it is to put our ideas on the table I am all for it. I have never formed a committee for action but it seems that so many people are just as passionate as I am but I also have two little ones who inspire me and are a driving force of that passion.

Bring back Dave Armstrong. He did more for downtown in 4 years that Jerry did in 13+

I think it's a mistake to let the discussion steer towards picking downtown advocate favorites. Dave Armstrong accomplished a great deal during his term of 4 years. He can reasonably be credited with a central role in the Marriott Hotel, Fourth Street Live!, Glassworks, the Extreme Park and continued progress on the Riverfront Park (I like 3 of the 5 and even sometimes the Marriott is OK). However, it's a mistake to dismiss or minimize Mayor Abramson's accomplishments. Slugger Field opened in 2000, but most of the heavy lifting was completed before Armstrong came to office. The Hope VI grants (>$200 M) that have transformed Park DuValle and Clarksdale/Liberty Green were won under Jerry Abramson. The arena and Museum Plaza will be credited to da Mayor for better or worse, as will many other projects. I think each was mayor during very different times. Jerry had his hands full in the old City of Louisville just preventing the economic slide from becoming an avalanche. Dave benefited from a healthier economy and made the most of his tenure.

That said, I agree with most of the posters and particularly with Matthew Crow that affordable housing is lacking downtown except within LG where home sales will start at $180,000. For a model we don't need to look beyond Paducah's Lowertown Arts District. Established older homes are available to artists with highly subsidized loans. That's not to say the properties are cheap. But, they offer entry into the urban "core" for artists, restauranteurs and other creative folks. Link: Paducah Lowertown

Make more public appearances, shake more hands, patronize as many local businesses as possible. I know he is busy but a once a month community session doesn’t reach very far.

Is this really one of Mayor Jerry's weaknesses? Seems to me he is all over the place.

I think that one point that cannot be repeated enough is "change does not happen overnight"
Maybe we all are so passionate about this because we are so close to the development/enhancement/beatification?
To explain...
I have cousins I see once a year they are 7 and 9, each time I see them it is like meeting a new person. A lot of change happens in a year. Maybe we are all so involved with our city that it just feels as if is taking a really long time?

I travel (too much) for work and make repeat visits to cities every 6-12 months. When I return 6-12 months later I am always amazed at the amount things have changed.
One such city is Minneapolis; Minneapolis is in the midst of a similar reclamation bring people back to Downtown project. The main difference I see is that they are 1-2 years ahead of our progress. Already they have high occupancy rates and independent restaurants/markets/bakeries are popping up all around. Just think how much can and will change in just a short 1-2 year period, it is exciting!

It always amazes me when people get upset that local businesses are left out of development, especially downtown.

Developing downtown is very expensive. It is critical to bring in large developers who have the capital to not only do the up front investment, but to handle a loss or break even position over a period of time until the investment can pay off. Too often, a smaller developer or business owner will open a place that will close almost immediately because of a lack of capital to keep the business running while a customer base is built. The examples of this are too numerous to list.

Downtown is doubly difficult because there is little to no built in customer base aside from workers and conventioners.

Large developments such as 4SL provide an anchor to which other development can attach (Raw, Cunninghams, BBC, etc. etc. etc). To say that the mayor excluded or forgot about local business owners is ridiculous. He partnered with a large developer and attracted businesses that could provide the capital needed to help feritilize the ground local business owners are now able to take advantage of.

The main thing our downtown is missing is something unique. An attraction that will draw people to downtown because it provides something you can't get anywhere else. We need a large, anchor retailer to help draw the after 5:00 crowd into downtown.

A Nordstroms anchoring a retail block on the old Water Company site would be the coup of the century for downtown development. It would spur additional development like nothing else. Another Dillard's or Macy's (or Border's or Office Depot) won't do it. We need a big name in retail to provide that same fertile effect that 4SL is providing.

As mentioned before, affordable housing is the second missing piece.

Development takes time, money and has to be geared toward what will attract the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. Niche development and growth off of that will come.

Our Mayor knows what he is doing and is making the right partnerships and making the right decisions to ensure we have sustainable and long term development downtown and not a repeat of the Galleria.

Time will prove him right.

a real community and not one planned by the developers.

A very thoughtful and telling observation, Matthew. The worst possible outcome (short of the city shelling out and decaying) would be the development of a "suburban" community downtown, developer-driven housing stock to match Fourth Street Live.

I disagree. I am not aware of any community that develops without planning, and developers are the ones who take the risk and invest the capital to build homes and apartments anywhere. Most, if not all, are not willing to take that risk without a plan.

Memphis jump-started the revival of its downtown by getting people to live downtown in two planned communities: South Bluffs and Mud Island. These communities mixed multi-family apartments with single family homes. Students and working class people lived in the same neighborhhod with 750K homes. It worked. The people moved there and the amenities followed.

CHRIS M

The main thing our downtown is missing is something unique. An attraction that will draw people to downtown because it provides something you can't get anywhere else. We need a large, anchor retailer to help draw the after 5:00 crowd into downtown.

A Nordstroms anchoring a retail block on the old Water Company site would be the coup of the century for downtown development. It would spur additional development like nothing else. Another Dillard's or Macy's (or Border's or Office Depot) won't do it. We need a big name in retail to provide that same fertile effect that 4SL is providing.

As mentioned before, affordable housing is the second missing piece.

Development takes time, money and has to be geared toward what will attract the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time. Niche development and growth off of that will come.

I completely agree with an anchoring retail block. I think it is much needed.

I don't think locally owned businesses are upset because of downtown development and they understand the time that it does take but there is so much information on issues that need to be addressed and we all have different opinions and as I said before everyone is working toward one goal and that is positive growth. I for one am very excited and if I wasn't I don't think I would have addressed the original question that Brian S. posted about opening up a business downtown.

Not too far from the subject and speaking about Time & Patience... I can't wait for the pedestrian bridge to open, I think its going to be wonderful!

[Robin Garr]

I am not aware of any community that develops without planning, and developers are the ones who take the risk and invest the capital to build homes and apartments anywhere. Most, if not all, are not willing to take that risk without a plan.

Wait, I didn't say anything about having NO planning. I said it's risky to let the developers take CHARGE of it. That's essentially just what happened in the East End, and look where that got us. Do you really want an urban form of least-common-denominator tract housing downtown because there's no guiding vision and no effort to build in either incentives or requirements that development happen in a way that enhances the city rather than just filling it with ticky-tacky boxes?

I look at what happened to Old Louisville in those years it was a free-for-all and it scares the daylights out of me.

I like the idea of developers submitting plans and them being approved by planning and zoning with input from landmarks and historical preservations groups. But then again, I am a democrat!!

But then again, I am a democrat!!

I'll join your argument, since it was done in a small "d"!

Downtown development does come with a higher cost than maybe where I reside. I don't know, I guess that maybe because it's cost prohibitive for the local business people and that only the larger, bigger, dare I say it, corporate businesses can afford the locales.

My question is this. Where is that money going??? Is it recycled back into the pockets of that big business?? Does it go towards operating the city? And that's the original invesment dollars. What about the tax revenues?

My Idea is this, ( if not already in place)...Divert some of that money towards making business locations and opportunites affordable for the independents.

Sorry if I'm showing my ignorance....

Hey T P I'm saying it w/ a big D....

I think that one point that cannot be repeated enough is "change does not happen overnight"
Maybe we all are so passionate about this because we are so close to the development/enhancement/beatification?
To explain...
I have cousins I see once a year they are 7 and 9, each time I see them it is like meeting a new person. A lot of change happens in a year. Maybe we are all so involved with our city that it just feels as if is taking a really long time?

I travel (too much) for work and make repeat visits to cities every 6-12 months. When I return 6-12 months later I am always amazed at the amount things have changed.
One such city is Minneapolis; Minneapolis is in the midst of a similar reclamation bring people back to Downtown project. The main difference I see is that they are 1-2 years ahead of our progress. Already they have high occupancy rates and independent restaurants/markets/bakeries are popping up all around. Just think how much can and will change in just a short 1-2 year period, it is exciting!

Minneapolis has far superior public transit and are actually expanding their light rail. I cant wait til I finally live there one day.

I think comparing ourselves to Minneapolis is an exercise in futility. Minneapolis has a literate, more educated population that draws businesses that offer higher paying jobs. Higher incomes result in a larger tax base. And there is that curious historical fact about Minneapolis. Until the last 5 to 10 years, Minnesotans have been more open to taxes so long as they felt like they were getting there money's worth.. That attitude coupled with a strong sense of being progressive led them to have social services and amenities about which we can only dream. Given the nature of our education and skill levels I think we aren't doing too badly. A better comparison might be Memphis.

I cannot agree more with the idea that some measure of planning is useful. That is to say that building codes, zoning ordinances and preservation of historical structures are good ideas, IMO. Hey, they're a good idea in the suburbs.

And Sara, I agree 100% with you in asking the question of where is the money going? The grants to develop Park DuValle and Liberty Green were in excess of $200 million. Who determines if the taxpayers really got their money's worth?