Downtown Windsor – Part V

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• The most important point made and referenced a few times is that the property owners are most of the blame here. I hope they don't exercise the same lack of respect for the front of their homes that they do for the front of their shops. Want more business...shovel the snow. Want more business, clean up the tags. Want more business clean up the busted glass. Want more business pick up the trash immediately. Want more business scrape off the gum. Want more business pick up the cigarrette buts. Who, in their right adult mind would want to be caught dead downtown let alone patronize it? The irony in all of this is that even the kiddies are starting to realize that the downtown is a filthy cesspool. When they are gone the wise leaders of the Downtown Maze or whatever its called will undoubtedly blame it on the economy or some such thing. The chickens are coming home aren't they.

• I almost forgot. Great piece/series Andrew.

• Boscariol, Andrew's whole point on these Downtown posts is that you can't perfume a pig. Your points on many issues and directional questions are well taken but even you have a business out Tecumseh way if I am not mistaken. And the 'up with people' attitude can only go so far. I only post as a potential wallet/customer that may patronize a business downtown now or in the near future. My decision as of right now is not to. Other areas of Windsor will lead the way. And that is where my money will go.

• If anything, this five part photo series was fairly balanced, moreso than the other side of the fence which only wants to see the good and pretend the bad can be overlooked for the sake of not scaring away investors.

  This is actually very ironic too.... In the last five days, we've also had "rammed down our throats" positive highlights such as Dr. Disc, a one-of-a-kind record and CD store, Windsor's landmark Armories, a nod to Milk and the Marathon Ethiopian restaurant, feature respectable strip featuring a Thai and Indian restaurant as well as a high end men's clothier, and Lazare's, as well as an enthusiastic recommendation for the used bookstore, Works On Paper, acknowledgment of WSO's Juno nomination, and a highlight of a Korean market.... to name just a few ways Andrew (and some of the commenters) actually did a better job highlighting and promoting the hidden/overlooked cultural gems downtown has to offer than DWBIA's flashy video did in creating an illusion of a 'vibrant' district that is easily shattered by a two hour walk around downtown.

  BTW, I would also add friendly Elias Deli & Eatery, Inklings Books, as well as Felix Fashions to the "assets" column.

  Bottom line - clean up the pigsty, stop fixating on the so-called "entertainment" component, and show the average citizen there is a safe and clean place for him or her on the streets of downtown. If Mark even conceded to that much, I'd gladly grab a broom and sweep right alongside of him. But the "up with the citizens" attitude (sorry to steal the phrase from another commenter) has got to go if the downtown BIA wants support of the people.

• I would like to think that most of the readers and commenters on here are fairly intelligent people. People who have a brain and can think for themselves.

  If I was being a BS artist and only showing the turds picked out of a sea of pearls I would expect some flack. The fact of the matter is I shot so many photos that I had to break the 2 hour shoot into 5 days worth of posts.

  Pretty much every person that commented here gave their two cents about the state of downtown, and what they feel is missing. No amount of marketing makes up for a shortfall of services and businesses.

  However there are the gems, like the places mentionned above by John, (don't forget the Tunnel BarBQ). The problem I find is that downtown is mostly a drive in drive out type place. You might head down to go to a book store or to the TBQ, but then you leave and go home, why? Beacue there is nothing to keep you down there, it's not a destiantion, it's not a place you spend an afternoon walking around and browsing shops. It should be but it's not.

  Look over the comments in this series, it seems there is a good cross section of the City and area residents on here. Take this as a lesson as to what's wrong. How to fix it, I don't know, but the people have spoken, and they're staying away. There's a limited demographic attracted to the core these days,and it needs to be broadened.

  Thanks everyone for your comments this week.

• Thank you Andrew for bringing this much needed topic to light, if it's not discussed, and brought up, it is forgotten, and left on the back burner, which in my eyes is the bases of the entire problem. IF we get more of the community involved, and our voices get heard, we may have the ability to influence future decisions, and perhaps the powers that be might start making different decisions. Andrews right, downtown is sort of a drive through type of place, and unfortunately until things begin to change, even if it’s in baby steps, nothing will improve downtown, in fact, it will probably continue to fall further into despair. Now I have to get some sleep…I’m headed down to that nifty book store which was mentioned in the morning!! Sure hope its open!!

• Andrew, I understand and hear your point and I hope you hear mine which is simply that the only way to draw anyone downtown is to promote what positive points we can honestly claim

  When I promote downtown, I don't make stuff up, I guess its just the spin. I say we have more amenities (which is not defined simply as residential support) I'm right. When I say we have more arts options, we do. When I say we have the city's best park, I believe it. When I say I we have more walkable cafe's and other such things than the rest of the city, I really think we do. When I say we have more independant local restaurants within walking distance, I say it because its true. When I say we have the most festivals, its just plain true. Your problem with me is my omissions of the challenges we face when I promote downtown. Why would anyone who is trying to bring people downtown, focus on that?

  If you have a better way to recruit residents and businesses in the short term, I'd be happy to advocate for it. We simply have to play the cards we are dealt the best we can.

  The businesses pay for a clean team, if you believe that is insufficient, I don't know what to tell you. Storekeepers that exist do a pretty good job, its the vacant spots and some (not all) late night businesses that simply don't have anyone present to take care.

• I agree that Tecumseh or Lasalle have made their share of mistakes when it comes to planning, but they've also done a lot to keep people happy, like contracting out basic municipal services to the private sector where it's feasible, having far fewer administrators' handle more responsibilities and treating the taxpayers' as partners when important decisions are made. Compared to Tecumseh or Lasalle, Windsor city hall functions like a old-style Communist bureaucracy where decisions are made in private and without public consultation and citizens' are treated like ciphers.

• Yeah but no matter how you cut it Tecumseh is a completely unwalkable community that doesn't even have a plan to fix it

  Lasalle is a hair above Tecumseh for walkability, but that will soon be thwarted with the new big box development that will significantly impact malden roads mainstreet.

  If lasalle wanted to make their community walkable they would come up with a plan to make malden more pedestrian and bicycle friendly

  I think you'll find that without massive gov't assistance, Lasalle and Tecumseh won't survive. Both seem to have the political connections to get that help but will that survive.

  P.S. The Celebrate Ontario Grant was just awarded approximately 1/3 to Tecumseh, 1/3 to Amherstburg and 1/3 to Windsor. I guess its geographically and regionally politically correct but its also a tribute to the political power that the county has over the city.

• Then the city shouldn't be trying to sue the county and instead they should be trying to work TOGETHER. Gee, what a foreign concept here.

  Citizens do need to get incolved but it is very difficult to get low-income earners to get invovled as they are either trying to hold down many jobs, trying to get a better education and/or are single parents with little time. That is a documented fact and not a stereotype of low-income earners.
  What we need is for the city and council to hear us and especially for the building owners tounderstand what we need and want if they ever want to rent out their places again. It would make their lives as landlords much easier if they didn't have to rent out a building to a different business every year or two.