outoftowner

i'm surprised they put the parking garage section of the building on the corner of the main intersection.

if they can get the concert programming right, the alcohol sales alone will make a fortune. but i'm not convinced this is the right location for the concept. seems like all the vending activity will be dependent on the stages being full, and makes me think that it will sit empty for the better part of the year. not sure this is the best location... in an ideal world it would be on the river. also, i don't know, the more i look at the drawings the more they remind me of a cheezy mall in orlando or someplace.

Really? In New Mexico (not exactly known for efficiency) the RailRunner Express (light rail service between Belen > Albuquerque > Santa Fe, NM) was built, in about 5 years. They were able to use existing track between Albuquerque and Belen, but a significant portion of the route is brand new. http://www.nmrailrunner.com/ for anyone interested.

You're right Rizzo, I'm a bit hasty with the waste of money declaration, but I'm really weary of transit projects where the purpose is to spur investment instead of providing a viable transportation option to city residents. We already have tax incentives to spur real estate investment downtown and I fear that projects like this actually give public transit opponents more ammunition when more expansive (and expensive) projects are proposed, because they always say "look at the money they threw at the project downtown, which no one rides" and they'll be right (regardless of tax revenue development might bring). This is a quote from a recent Press article:

By choosing this route, it seems that it's all about ferrying convention center traffic to lodging up N. Monroe or down the street a few blocks to drink beer or go to a game. This entire route is like a 20 min. walk! I hate to say it because I would love a viable streetcar line in GR but this is a waste of money. Expanding the BRT line to serve more of the metro area would be much better. This will end up being like the streetcar line in Kenosha, WI, the main function of that line being to add scenery. No one rides it because it doesn't serve anyone. It just goes from the beach to downtown, which is like 5 blocks. It will be gone in 10 years if it doesn't expand into neighborhoods where people live.