This townie has been busy over the last few months and I’ve slacked on my writing.
Busy in a good way. Fruitful busy, but I took a few days over the holiday weekend to relax and I ended up spending most of my time in downtown Janesville. My teenage self of the late 1980s would have laughed out loud at this now ‘not teenager’ if he would have heard it coming out of my mouth. Sorry kid. Thanks to many private endeavors combined with public projects, what was once an afterthought is now starting to thrive.
The key word is starting. There are areas that are in prime redevelopment; while other areas are still in need of some TLC. Have you strolled along Main Street lately? The majority of the storefronts are full and the entertainment scene is starting to heat up. JPAC is filling their seats and if you haven’t been to Courthouse Park on a Tuesday night for the free “Music at the Marv†concert, itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ your loss. Both venues are phenomenal.
While things are blossoming, there are still a few weeds the city needs to address. While I feel safe when traveling by foot, some of the underserved or unserved individuals who call Firehouse Park their hang out don’t make others feel as safe.
ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ an easy one to point out but not as easy one to address. I’m personally aware of several attempts to assist a number of the men and women who are ‘transients’ on Main Street but they refuse the help. Meanwhile, they panhandle and pee in the staircase in the Parker Drive parking ramp. I’m growing weary of the urine and Pine Sol whiff that I get each time I step into the stairwell. There is no pride and at times, no conscious to what some of my fellow residents do down there. ItÃÛèÖÊÓƵ frustrating and will halt the momentum.
The other weed is a first world one that may soon be a full-blown weed and thatÃÛèÖÊÓƵ parking. In my opinion, itÃÛèÖÊÓƵ not a problem…yet. As additional businesses and downtown residences grow, it will become one. Much was discussed in a short amount of time when the city requested to declare the parking lot at Parker Drive and Wall Street “excess property.†Business owners were rightfully vocal, and I listened to a few city officials call what we have downtown as the “Walmart effect.†We are willing to walk what equates to a block from the parking lot to get milk at the store but refuse to walk far to get to a downtown business.
The issue with the Walmart effect is downtown is becoming a destination for entertainment and not a sustenance need. Milk is milk, but if someone needs to walk three or four blocks to visit a restaurant, they may just skip it and go somewhere else. In the end, I’m glad the city decided to forego optioning the parking lot.
As I walked out of a new downtown establishment I did so with a smile. We’re investing in our community. I also thought about the weeds and I’m hoping thereÃÛèÖÊÓƵ a plan — both tactical and strategic — to address them before they start to take over and potentially slow the revitalization.
