The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on the happenings for the Coliseum, this past weekend. The counties need to get off their butts and help the city make this happen. We need a 20,000 seat coliseum now! It is the perfect time construction cost are lower and you can bargain! The counties would not be what they are without the city! To all the naysayers out there in Central Virginia you do not have a vision of what this city will become. Look at the many mid size cities that were smaller than us 20 years ago have zipped by us i.e. (Charlotte (was just a Big Truck Stop), Raleigh, Memphis, Jacksonville, Orlando, Austin, Oklahoma City what!?, etc.) All these cities had a vision that was bigger than what they were then. Every single city that I listed today has a professional franchise (NBA, NHL, NFL) except Austin, but they have the University of Texas which basically engulfs that city. Do you think these cities had their internal riffs during those times yes but they got it done.
Sorry im about to go on a rant. But why does the city also has the nerve to tell us that parking garages are economic development. Can someone tell when does a new parking garage add so many jobs to the city (long term). City officials talking (we dont have 40 story office towers but we have a great brand spanking new parking garage to park) Sorry but where the are these people going to go after they park nowhere. Because there is no where to go! All of these jobs are temporary construction jobs that leave after six months when construction is done. They add no value at all to the Downtown Landscape (Dwellers, workers, restaurants, shopping, corporate). At least put buisnesses at the bottom of parking garages.
We need eletric streetcars now, not later! Imagine taking a streetcar from your condo in Manchester and hoping off at your job on Broad Street. Its definetley doable and cheap.
No more STUIDIES! All of these studies need to stop like Broad Street BRT (Bus Rapid Transit). Just do it all ready! Get up and stop throwing taxpayer money away on study after study after study. That 250,000 dollar study could have renovated a small section of a school, started a community program for kids, revamp local landscaping, purchased 250 coumputers, made a loan to a small business in need, repair the sidewalks, streetlamps, given 5 employees a job for the year. Instead those dollars goes to a outside consultant based in California. Who cant even locate Richmond on a map!
Bus service need to be expanded into the counties point blank. Sorry Chesterfield and Henrico when you dont have public transit for workers to get to your little suburban office parks, they should fail! Stop crying about youre scared of the hoodlums roving your neighborhood. Sorry that frame of mind of thinking left with the eighties. waht would Washington DC be without its Subway and bus service. By the way Richmonds crime rate is falling, while yours (the couties) are rising. Also dont come crying to the city when they start light rail then youll be clamming and beggin for it. Please!
Also the Boulevard Property is the perfect location for a small mid-town. We could have are major downtown then have a small midtown to compliment it. Imagine Richmond having two skylines. Its possible with a little forward thinking.
Also the city needs to take care of its Universities. These three institutions are the lifeblood of this city (VCU, Richmond, VUU). VUU is crumbling at its base and may be no more 10 years from now but the city does not care! You actually see VUU from I-95/64 heading northbound! Hello! Theres a freaking metal recycling junk yard in front of it. COME ON! Companies are not going to keep moving here if all they have is VCU to depend on! Companies want diversity fron many colleges not just one major second tier university! (sorry VCU students, alumni, and fans).
Hey dont get me started on the location of a ballpark. Just keep it where it is for the history buffs and Papa in a old 90 year old voice (i remember when it was Parker Field and we were the farm club for the Yankees, tear roles down from his eye) and build a midtown around it. Simple. Problem Solved! You get the people that can watch a game from their condo or office window (worker productivity down the drain, lol). Hey at least it will be fun to watch.
Gilpin Court should have been dismantled years ago its the biggest eyesore traveling on I-95. Here is a short list of what travelers heading from Charlotte and Atlanta see and smell on I-95. Richmond Port (no activity). Philip Morris headquarters, not bad except the cigarette packaging on a 100ft tall beam also dont forget the tobacco smell. The worst stinch of a life time from someplace on Commerce Rd. Rusted out buildings. The water treatment plant. Ah hey downtown glimmer of hope. Gilpin Court, abandon houses oh crap, dont want to stop here for gas! Metal Junk Yard! Ok then you see the Diamond pop out from the rubble of city owned land. Then fresh air Bryan Park! Except you have the largset interchange in the metro region (195/95/64) running through it! CLEAN IT UP! No wonder people think Richmond is just a big ghetto!
Richmond has history, history and more history! Somethings missing hey more history. Be innovative and stop telling us there are so many things to do. Maybe a ferris wheel downtown like London, ice rink on Broad Street. Skateboard Park! More bars downtown (maybe). Expand the oldest farmers market in the country, develop the canal, bring back the Annabel Lee Riverboat Cruise. Build a marine terminal already! National Slavery Musuem, tell New Market to stop sitting on its hand and develop its portion of the riverfront (Foundry Park), Large Bookstore, the possiblities are endless.
Today Richmond keeps dragging its feet and the only reason the city poulation is increasing again because of location, location, location. This city and metropolitan are needs to stop relying on location and more on what can we do to attract more corporate headquarters, entrepreneurs, domestic and foreign immigrants to make this a true cosmopolitan city that is ahead of the curve instead of having are local of officials flying to cities on the taxpayers dime like San Antonio blah! and Indianapolis more blah! to see what they have done. USE YOUR Imagination city officials. VISION ! Would could be a truly great city but we need to take are strengths and continue to add to be the best brightest and most sucessful mid size metro in the country if not the world. (hey dreaming big). Hampton Roads (which is a bunch of kids in a sandbox fighting over control of one toy) is next on my rant list! Till next time eh. Build Build Build!!!
Heres the two articles for the Coliseum
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/COLI27_20100326-213002/333249/
http://www2.timesdispatch.com/rtd/news/local/article/HOOP27_20100326-221208/333291
