August 31, 2008

Downtown

I see two keys for downtown development. First we need more people living downtown. Here are some ideas to accomplish this, lets call it the Hanover Treatment:
  1. We need to work on some program where downtown residents get "FREE" access to municipal garages from 6:00PM to 6:00AM during the week and on week-ends.
  2. Waive all permitting fees for developers who will build market rental or home ownership opportunities.
  3. Lock assessed values of any proposed development for 7 years.
  4. Encourage all colleges and other non-profits to offer downpayment and rental assistance to any employees living downtown.
  5. Work closely with all the colleges to have some presence downtown. We could even market the city for parents of high school children to come to Worcester and learn about all our different colleges by one trip to downtown.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

get down to Hyannis Wild Will over the next few weeks..incredible transformation

Gabe said...

All good ideas but before any of this happens we have to work on the things we can control which are policing and the general cleanliness. Since the Hanover opened it's been better but it really needs to get even better. The type of atmosphere and police presence that is going on around Federal Sq on the nights of Hanover events needs to be going on throughout the downtown at all times.

On Monday I am going down to the Bancroft office because yesterday I watched a guy walk out of one of the other buildings and throw two large trash bags into the sidewalk trash receptacle. The thing is always overflowing. Shit like this can't happen.