It seems like you have published quite a few letters complaining that State Street is no good without cars. I don’t agree, and recent surveys show that 80 percent of locals like me favor the pedestrian promenade.
I like the current vibrancy of State Street, with people walking and biking and eating and enjoying the pleasures of our beautiful city. I’ve been waiting years for the commercial vacancies to begin to translate into workforce housing and will continue to hold that thought.
In the meantime, it seems that new locally based businesses are starting to fill those spaces. That’s exciting! It’s also cool that the downtown organization has been sponsoring fun activities like dance classes and other opportunities for community engagement.
There is no doubt that we are in a new era where most retail has shifted to online shopping and the big department store chains are dying. However, we need to support local retail because we need neighborhood stores where we can touch the items we’re buying and get advice from knowledgeable salespeople.
Let’s live with an eye to the future. City Council should be commended for voting to reimagine our downtown core by assessing the possibilities of a more vibrant Paseo Nuevo. Let’s use this opportunity to think big.