Bench Kevin Cormack!

BEFORE
Without prior announcement - the 400-Baker-block amenities-areas are ripped open - Tue, March 4, first thing in the morning - surprise-surprise attended by Kevin Cormack, City Manager, and a PR-team to record him in word and picture.
Cormack's explanation then - covering all contingencies, in terms of his personal involvement: this is part of the Downtown And Waterfront Plan, prepared by consultants(???); the change didn't have to be approved by Council because that was done already by politicians(???); it doesn't show as a budget line-item because it's an opportunity cost(???).

He's here to claim credit - but not responsibility (just in case!).

Before losing their face - literally - these areas are well-aged/used spaces providing the possibility of congenial connections, a respite - stepping back for a moment from downtown while downtown. A waist-high wall - topped with growing flowers - giving the feeling of a bit of separation from the sidewalk to-and-fro. Also another wall - same height - providing a part-division within the spaces themselves. Comfy. Both areas with 3 benches each, planned in the downtown make-over in the early 80s. And working pretty well since then.

See also post
Baker Avenue - The Heart of Gold
23 March 2013

AFTER
Ostensibly removal of these walls is to open the areas to the sidewalk - provide larger, more inviting spaces with multi-purpose possibilities. Public gathering-places. Sort-of Downtown-Central. Performances, exhibits and what-not. So why - in this process - was the only water-fountain downtown removed from the south-side amenity?

A reason floated behind the official reason is whispering about City Hall reorganizing the amenities to please business-interests. 

Physically - these areas generally are still what they had been before - but like 2 rooms with their front-wall and window flower-boxes peeled-off completely.
Even once the benches are put back - after an oddly long time, and why were they moved away to begin with? - again 3 in the north-area while now only 2(!) in the south - few people use these spaces. They feel empty and dead.
A councilor tells me that an overall redesign is being worked on (there need to be more - not fewer - benches!) - and the mayor says yes there will be flowers again. But no new design has materialized, and flowers are basically pink-petunias-plus: low appeal/cost/maintenance.
Nothing lush-green here, nothing shade-providing, nothing to invite respite, socializing. Recently added sculptures - largely chosen for their practicality, not as an integral part of these spaces - do not make them more inviting, do not provide focus - even less: life. The whole thing(s): bland, disproportioned bits and temporary.

RECENTLY
There have been additions within the amenities - private commercial concerns. And as these weren't approved by Council - they can only have been facilitated by the - city manager! As 4 restaurants are involved: it must have been a collective effort to apply at the same time for use - after - most likely - the offer made to them at the same time.
It needs to be remembered here that these amenities ostensibly were redone - and the redo financed - for the general public's enjoyment. With tax-payered funds - no matter what they are conveniently called!
BUT! And it sure didn't take long!

North-side amenity:
Facing it: the right half is now occupied by 2 side-by-side restaurants - Baba's and Mana'eesh. Both have incorporated 1 public bench each in their seating-plan - cushions yet! This leaves 1 bench for public use at the very left. And clearly the publicly available space is now way too small for - anything.
South-side amenity:
Facing it: here 2 restaurants - Old World Bakery and Sanderalla - are occupying 2 thirds of the amenity - 1 at each end. The 1 on the left incorporates 1 bench (out of public 2) under the only tree affording some shade during the hottest time of the day. The only space - and bench - available to non-patrons is awkwardly squished into the space between these 2 fenced/chained-off establishments. And with openly available space here now even less than on the north-side.....

So there go the gatherings, performances, exhibits. From non-commercial multi-use possibilities to single-use money-makers. Just like that! 
Not that the Cultural Development Commission (CDC) ever stepped-up - except for the temping sculptures!

NOW
Which takes me back to the rumor that the amenities' redo took place to please business-interests. Now promptly rented to for-profits - without open vetting of any kind. Connect the dots!
But since the project (as a how-far-extending whole?) was already approved by politicians and funding was an opportunity-cost - who's to know where it all started and will end? 
Mr. Cormack knows! And isn't telling! 

In terms of the by now mythical Waterfront And Downtown Plan: the amenities-redo is another example of these big-city experts superimposing big-city concepts on a smallish town - but those in charge of implementing them here only doing so according to the smallish capacity of their mindscapes and biggish ambitions and egos.
Also keeping it real simple like for themselves: instead of taking responsibility for the Plan's - granted: improbable - grand-scale implementation - making the Plan itself responsible for itself. Sidestepping the fact that they approved the damn thing.

Oh no, it's part of the Plan - the Plan says so! 

Next: Hall Street! Fasten your seat-belts!

Also see post
Hall Street or It's All Downhill From Here
22 July, 2013






Images: Adam Jones, Sunniva Harte, Alan Hausenflock