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This week’s Surreal Estate column by Robrt Pela is all about CityScape — the two-phase, million-dollar, downtown “urban shopping and dining” experience — that’s holding its grand opening on November 4.
We’ve applauded the new bowling alley as a place that’s actually open post 10 p.m. on a weeknight, and it’s hard to argue with a few new lunch spots close to work, but as supporters of the home team, it’s difficult to get behind a project and a new addition to our skyline that doesn’t exactly blend with local business or local culture.
Pela writes:
The thinking seems to be that people will be more willing to interact with a downtown core if it looks more like home. It’s an interesting — and also sort of desperate — approach to getting people to linger downtown after work. And it’s one that (surprise!) doesn’t do much to acknowledge or incorporate the urban landscape of our existing downtown, a fact that has a lot of dyed-in-the-wool downtowners like Beatrice Moore really pissed off.
In addition to the lack of blending, Beatrice Moore — owner of Kooky Crafts and superwoman of the Grand Avenue arts scene — is angry about the promised Patriots Park, which many claim has been swallowed by CityScape development.
Local film guru, Steve Weiss posted a video this morning, asking where the promised park went.
Check out Weiss’ video after the jump …
The replacement of the original park — covered during CityScape development — was a part of a trade in the CityScape deal.
What stands in the space now is a paved forum with fountains and trees — a divisive reminder of what’s today considered “urban landscape.”
