Uneasy Rhetoric

Mayor Heather Fargo gave her “State of Downtown” speech yesterday at the Memorial Auditorium. Sac Rag wonders why it took 157 years to get to “implementation,” and KCRA reports the story.

The full text of the speech is available, inexplicably, in PDF format. Here are a few tidbits that I found interesting:

The City now owns Capital Mall, which along with the Crocker Park, can serve as an event venue – with the State Capital on one end and Tower Bridge on the other –now that’s a postcard! And a great place for a party or festival.

I’ve often wondered why Capital Mall wasn’t more used. I don’t even see homeless people kicking back there.

Levinsons – has become a coffee and tea bar, Temple – opened a few months ago – and I keep hearing from people that it’s the best cup of coffee downtown. I’d like to introduce the owner Sean Kohmescher – and thank Mo Mohanna for making this happen.

Go Temple, go Temple, go Temple…

City is actively negotiating with Joe Zeiden for the 700 block of K that saves all the historic facades and brings new retail to K Street.

and

The City is negotiating with Mo Mohanna, John Lambeth and John Saca for a project on the 800 block of K St. for housing and retail

Huzzah!

The sidewalks on the Tower Bridge will be widened this year.

Now all we need to do is improve the bicycle and pedestrian access approaching the bridge (from both directions) and we’re set.

Another dozen restaurants opened last year! In fact, $2M of the $8M in sales tax from the central city, came from restaurants – so please continue to eat out!

That’s a pretty telling statistic. You can’t depend on restaurants too much though. They are among the hardest businesses to keep afloat and the market can become quickly saturated.

Jibboom Street Park has been funded and proposals for the old PGE power plant are being reviewed.

So, it isn’t Gold Rush Park. But it’s something.

I don’t want the future residents of the Saca Towers, or Plaza Lofts, to get in their cars and drive to Roseville Galleria to shop. I want them to walk to a reenergized Downtown Plaza to shop. And I want them to eat and be entertained in Downtown. And I want people who work downtown, to afford to live downtown.

and

Downtowns are successful if everyone is welcome – when we have housing for all income levels, when we have restaurants for all tastes and budgets, and when the shopping options include groceries and gifts, clothing and kitchen implements.

and

And by the way, we know that parking is an issue in parts of downtown. Central City Parking Plan is underway – we know we need more parking, in the right locations. Our historic buildings can’t add parking, but need access to some to be able to get tenants. We want people to take street cars, light rail, buses and walk – but not everyone can do that.

Somehow I suspect the parking plan will generate a lot more interest than the alternative transportation options. The question won’t be (as it should be) “how can we get people out of their cars,” but “where can people put their cars.”

Overall, no big surprises, no big initiatives. But I suspect this was a public forum for patting people on their heads.