This is Part 2 of my commentary on the Planning Commission meeting for November 12, 2007. (Here’s the link to Part 1.)
Apartments at the old Hallmark Location
Why are residential tenants worse than vacancies? Empty retail spaces are worse than occasional litter and disturbances from residential tenants. They’re a sign of our lack of vitality, our failure to promote incentives, and our perverse conclusion that nothing is better than an imperfect something. Vacancies make us weaker, and more vulnerable, to the next recession or unfortunate event.
Brodnicki and Bowen, Again.
Neither one can offer a tenant for the space, but they want to stop a plan that a private owner proposes. Odd, and laughable, was Brodnicki’s suggestion that she wants to attract young couples and empty nesters, those who “have money, who want to spend money in our downtown.” Fine — but that’s not the choice you face, is it? It’s a choice between first floor apartments and nothing but vacant space. What might go in the vacant space doesn’t matter — what will take the space matters. You’re not signing the deed, a private investor is doing that.
If part of one’s job is to recruit businesses to our downtown, and yet one is not attracting the businesses that one would like, perhaps a little humility would be in order. I suggest accepting those who will take the space, rather than insisting on one’s way or nothing. Nothing is good for…nothing. People in town might like to see all sorts of businesses, but if those businesses don’t show up, then we’re all left staring at is emptiness.
Bookstores? I’m sure there are people who want bookstores, but that’s a weak hope. Amazon, BN, and Wal-Mart have killed the independent bookstore, and that’s killed as in ‘not coming back.’
After listening to Brodnicki’s petulant, irritable presentation, I almost longed for the return of the politician-dentist. Almost.
America’s booming, with impressive growth and job creation, and yet we’re still beset by vacant storefronts. In July, I ran a post entitled, Vacant Whitewater,” showing empty storefronts. Several people rushed to tell me how upsetting it was to the current administration, with accompanying vows never to read this supposedly negative website.
I was unmoved then; I have three responses now.
First, the problem with these vacancies is not a problem for some well-paid municipal official. It’s a problem for the community. Some public official’s eggshell sensibilities are not the biggest problem in Whitewater – they’re not even on a list of the top 500 problems worthy of consideration. If the commentary in this site troubles a municipal official, then he or she is ill-prepared to lead. There’s free, robust commentary in cities across America. Many politicians, all over America, handle far more serious criticism with equanimity. We can, and should expect, that we can handle commentary as well as those in other cities.
Second, these properties are still vacant.
Third, one writes what one believes, and I’ll not trim my sails to attract readers. ‘Free and honest’ means free and honest, not ‘deferential to make appointed officials feel better about themselves.’
There’s icing on the cake, too, for being direct: traffic has been up each month at FREE WHITEWATER.