The Escape Restaurant closed their doors and clearly nothing is being maintained. The other problem is, Code and Compliance is now a "complaint driven" department where no one goes out to inspect different communities. Then there's the additional problem of the City owning property and not maintaining it. Who do you call then? The image below is a perfect example.
Now what gets me here is, the Plaza has never seen such destruction until the under age club opened their doors. The Mayor stated, they just don't care.
Salisbury News has asked time and time again what YOU thought should be done. Mind you, its a very tough economy and many people are scared to invest.
The City will consider spending millions of dollars on low income housing projects but they're just too stupid to put good money after good money by encouraging economic & development Downtown. Oh, they'll send letters to property owners on the Plaza stating they want to "HELP" them, (property owners doing nothing with their buildings).
It's the first step into coming back to the taxpayers and saying, we tried working with these people but they refused to work with us so we're going to create new legislation to get rid of them. Mind you, I could see them making the right move there IF they had proven they have done everything in their powers to bring businesses to the Downtown Plaza or Main Street. Some call what they're doing putting lipstick on a pig.
If the City can't even clean up their own act and take care of the portions of the Plaza they own, why should we invest money into beautifying it, or being forced to?
You mark my words, I know what the City is up to. Under Barrie Tilghman and Gary Comegys they wanted a special arts district. They stated any artist who wants to BUY a piece of property Downtown in that district and work out of a retain portion of the building would do so tax free.
Can any of you tell me of an artist that can afford to buy a building and survive on the Downtown Plaza? Can you also tell me of an artist who would want to.
Perhaps if the City reached out to people other than Urban Salisbury for ideas and motivation they might get somewhere. However, it starts with practicing what you preach by repairing all of the bricks busted off the planter areas by vehicles, fixing the fountains and maintaining the flower beds, (which they have been doing recently).
To those candidates who are now in office after making such promises, what's next?
23 comments:
It is a lost cause. How much money has been wasted over the years? Time to admit defeat and move on.
I can tell you whats next... Nothing is next that's it... They city does maintain their property they own... they force business to do it or they fine them...
I mean between O'malley and this council, nothing will be done on this side of the bay...
O'malley will just take our money from here to do something for his area near b-more and then say how he HELPED Maryland... wrong, you helped b-more not Maryland... even though b-more is in MD...
Then you have the council, a bunch of retarded people who couldn't tell you the difference between a barn or a strip of sand... Who will just piss our money away then say we are not doing anything to this city to bring in income for the city...
Keep in mind, whilst the taxes keep getting raised,and "fees" keep being made, and tolls being raised just wait and see how many people will jump to their feet to go out and spend to jump start this economy...
Our country is pretty much dead, or soon will be... In fact I think were just shy of the almost never return part where you can't fix it... I can't wait for the dollar to bust so that all the politicians who wanted a "one world govt" or who wanted to step and stab people in the back to get power and rich do when their money they stabbed so hard for is worth nothing than a pile of dog shit on a street post...
It's not just a Salisbury problem. The big box stores gives us the products we want at the best price. Hard times mean many who used to enjoy shopping in real stores with real clerks, now feel the pinch and the need to economize except on the occasional luxury item. Little stores can't live off the crumbs. Old downtowns often become bar districts, but the public outcry for DUI enforcement and the general move of adults away from alcohol and drugs means that these places have to live on one good night. IN places where public transportation is useless or dangerous, it's not a viable option for going out on the town.
The only thing left is fashionable restaurants, and let's face it- most of us aren't dress up and spend $100 on dinner kind of people.
I have thought that the only solution for Salisbury is to get the college involved. Build some student housing and satellite offices perhaps, somehow to incorporate the downtown. Then the coffee shops and specialty sportswear stores might fill in. Run a continuous loop bus back and forth to the campus 20 hours a day.
Oh, and demolish that bridge at the end of Main Street.
Answer, Yes. It has been for a decade or more. Salisbury residents need to realize that nothing in that town is going to be any better than what is there right now.
(insert "taps.")
Mares Tail Farm. (It is the weed that is growing there FYI)
Saw down those parking meters! No other stores charge for parking or make you run back and forth to your car every 20 minutes! "Shopping" is a slow, relaxing, and price comparing time that requires attention to detail. Having a bicycle cop cruise your parking meter every 5 minutes hardly lends itself to an enjoyable time looking at art even if it was there!
There is no downtown. The most traffic there is goes to the courthouse. Who wants to be elbow to elbow with that sort of people?
You have a big parking garage, how many use it?
A big empty parking lot across the street. Tons of parking and nothing to do there.
Who would walk on the plaza at night and feel safe?
You have to have a basic sense of security before anyone will venture downtown, no matter what you build there.
The real only way to revitalize a dying downtown is to attract people, how do you do that, well, it would be real easy if those downtown buildings were allowed to be made into "Frat houses"! Yup, you heard me, I have never been to a college town till being here, that didn't have "Frat Houses". What is wrong with this town, they got access to 3 colleges within a few miles and they don't cater to the students at all. Wake up people, the kids have loads of spending money and like to have fun. Let them have some, this town is one of those "Old Gezzer" villages, where they frown on young people having a party or a good old fashioned "Frat" party.
Downtown Ann Arbor was dying, they allowed the student union to orginize fraturnities and wa-la, downtown is now a thriving business community with loads of coffee shops, internet cafe, bars and dinners all cattering to the students.
But I know the citizens and the city council are too set in their ways to think "Outside of the box" and heaven forbid they do anything that might modernize Salisbury, they like it staying old and in the past!
I have walked several potential buyers/developers downtown to purchase vacant buildings but with the condition of the plaza they are turned off. It is also well known from many of these people and business's from all around that Salisbury is very business unfriendly.
Build all the low income housing down town. Then the residents won't need a cab when they have to appear in court or go see their lawyer.
Downtown is DOA
face it you can't go back .
they should plow it up and plant soybeans or corn.
Fill it up with bars.
The only businesses that could save downtown are Target or WalMart. They are the only 2 that always seem busy. However, the layout of downtown is garbage & parking is a joke.
I think it probably is too late to do anything with downtown. I just returned from a three-day trip to northern PA, where I saw some beautiful vibrant downtowns. There were all kinds of shops, lots of pedestrians, etc. It's a shame we cannot do that here. In this area Berlin or Easton are similar.
downtowns died in the 80's! supply and demand dictate what people want and people (other than a select few) don't want a downtown! Stop throwing money at it trying to make something out of nothing. let it evolove into whatever it is going to be next, maybe office space, maybe housing, society will decide.
Fill it with Strip Clubs that have good looking women. Heck, I'd go downtown for that. Actually, I like the frat house idea, or something with the college. The students could have a great time downtown with no neighbors to disturb.
The only businesses that will thrive there are liquor stores, check cashing places, and title loan places! Until people in the area learn to read, appreciate art, and stop ordering off the dollar menu businesses will keep closing. instead of businesses attracting people have the culturally aware people demand the right shops.
10:04 PM
Shove that obnoxious and pompous attitude right up your culturally aware arse.
6:18 PM
Hey gerbil, ann arbor has a population of 112,000+. That's almost 4 times more than salisbury.
And annie has 10 colleges.
If you and your gay friends want to meet in coffee shops, move to ann arbor.
You will only be 30 miles away from detroit. You can have yourself some real fun in that pit. cya. wouldn't wanna be ya
3:32 - I totally agree!! I have been saying we should involve the college in the downtown area for years!! put in a few bars/restaurants and offer busing!! The university is the only think that keeps the rest of our city going... we could at least try it out.
And for any of you that say that downtowns are dying... you must not have left the shore lately.. everywhere else they are the centerpiece of the town. People pay top prices to live downtown and shopping/socializing are the norm!! Such a shame our city can't get it together.
Since urban renewal gutted cities of their historic buildings and residential cores in the 1950s, downtowns have struggled to make a comeback.After a burst of office skyscraper construction in the 1960s and 1970s, many downtowns turned into sterile commercial centers that people worked in but escaped at night. Cities desperately tried to lure people back. They tried pedestrian malls, convention centers, stadiums, performing arts centers and museums.More people came, but when the fun was over, downtowns emptied. Cities realized that these central business districts could not be revived unless they became neighborhoods where people worked, played and lived.
Bigger isn't necessarily best when it comes to quality of life. In a Gallup survey released this week of the U.S. cities rated highest for overall well-being, New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago all failed to crack the top 50. By contrast, nine of the top 10 spots in the survey went to mid-size cities, with the Boulder, Colorado metro area grabbing the top overall spot. The only big city that cracked the top 10 was the Washington, D.C. area.
Salisbury is small. You can't compare it to cities with a much larger population. Some cities are offering next to nothing housing costs to attract residents.
The one thing Salisbury has in common with real cities is it's crime problem. Per capita we are right up there with the big ones.
We don't have enough of a student base to support any sizable new ventures.
Other than bars and pizza shops, what would attract college students to the downtown area?
Right now there is no reason to even go downtown unless you are going to court, finding a lawyer or paying a fine.
We have seen what the partying atmosphere can bring, fights, killings, shootings. Do any of you want your downtown associated with any of that?
turn it into bennet middle school
plenty of room for classes
:o)
The only idea that will work is to have Salisbury U. buy one of the buildings and have students live there. Everything else will follow.
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