Comments on: Esplanade: Opening up a street without closing it http://tomeblen.bloginky.com/2009/11/04/esplanade-opening-up-a-street-without-closing-it/ Lexington Herald-Leader columnist Tom Eblen Fri, 19 Mar 2010 01:05:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: the lexington streetsweeper http://tomeblen.bloginky.com/2009/11/04/esplanade-opening-up-a-street-without-closing-it/#comment-3453 the lexington streetsweeper Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:45:28 +0000 http://tomeblen.bloginky.com/?p=3988#comment-3453 Ideally, there should be nothing stopping the property owners and their occupants from doing this project for themselves. The LFUCG should be in accord with the people of downtown and have some oversight, but we the taxpayers should not be expected to foot the entire bill. This street work could be the shining example for the rest of downtown as a public/private partnership envisioned by those who use the area and not an "outside" interest. North Mill St as a pocket park for evening socializing is still do-able if the follow the example of the French Quarter, allow vehicular traffic in the daytime and close the streets at dusk till dawn(possibly weekends). We don't have to lose all connectivity during the daytime in order to enhance our evening and night life. On a side note, I feel that the CentrePointe controversy has blurred the lines of what is a private project, what is a downtown effort and what is a public project. Each have their place and each should compliment one another. Downtown economic development should not be an either/or question. What do you think? Ideally, there should be nothing stopping the property owners and their occupants from doing this project for themselves. The LFUCG should be in accord with the people of downtown and have some oversight, but we the taxpayers should not be expected to foot the entire bill.

This street work could be the shining example for the rest of downtown as a public/private partnership envisioned by those who use the area and not an “outside” interest. North Mill St as a pocket park for evening socializing is still do-able if the follow the example of the French Quarter, allow vehicular traffic in the daytime and close the streets at dusk till dawn(possibly weekends). We don’t have to lose all connectivity during the daytime in order to enhance our evening and night life.

On a side note, I feel that the CentrePointe controversy has blurred the lines of what is a private project, what is a downtown effort and what is a public project. Each have their place and each should compliment one another. Downtown economic development should not be an either/or question. What do you think?

]]>