"The developers of a proposed $7.2 million housing and retail project in West Racine will let the public have a look at the plan.
"The Landmark Group will hold an open house from 6-7 p.m. Jan. 21 at 3308 Washington Ave., immediately west of Wilson’s Coffee & Tea. Anyone interested can stop in to see the artist renderings, meet the developer and ask questions."
http://www.journaltimes.com/articles/2009/01/12/local_news/doc496bb06933d8f133333429.txt
I know, I blogged about this a week ago. More importantly, I don't live in West Racine, so it's none of my business. That, however, has rarely stopped me before.
I do appreciate the area. As a kid, I took the bus from the north side to Gary's Hobby Shop where it was originally in West Racine, before they moved to Uptown, then Elmwood Plaza. Nelson's is legendary. I remember seeing movies at the Capitol Theater and then getting a burger or pizza at DeRango's. Hell, I'm so old that I remember the North Shore and the station in West Racine. And I remember the "experts" saying that commuter rail was kaput. Must've been the same experts that said the Venetian Theater had to be razed. For thirty years I've watched them tear things down in this city. Now West Racine sports the latest open wound in our urban landscape.
Anyway, Beejay suggested that senior housing would be better suited to the neighborhood than the public housing that they're currently proposing. I couldn't agree more. The developers, The Landmark Group, have a snazzy website, http://www.landmarkdevelopment.biz/, with examples of senior housing projects that they've done elsewhere. Why not in West Racine? Seniors are clean and quiet, two positive characteristics that I associate with West Racine - at least, currently.
If you live in West Racine, or if you care about truly preserving diversity in our city, I suggest that you attend the open house with The Landmark Group.
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6 comments:
If this has the blessing of Johnson's and/or RAMAC, it is inconsequential what we think.
This is my stomping grounds. Grew up a block away from there. Live four blocks away now. I can't figure out where the people are going to come from to fill all those units.We seem to have a glut of empty houses, apartments, flats now. Now the idea of senior housing doesn't sound to bad, but see last comment, and since they closed the Pig on Grove you have to go a ways to find a grocery store. Where would the seniors who don't get real well any more shop?
ARRRRGGGGH!!! Not proofing before hitting post. Should be; Where would seniors who don't get AROUND real well anymore shop?
AA, well that's a fact, but the city likes to at least keep up the appearance that residents have a say in their neighborhoods. Just like we pretend that RUSD is about educating children and that Racine courts are about justice, the developer is tossing a bone to us (probably because Mr. Hendrix did such a splendid job of revealing their lies in his comments on the Journal Times original story). I believe that the very big fish in our very small pond here feel better when they can at least put on a pretense of giving a damn what anyone else thinks.
Fungi, I suppose that the seniors would have to shop for food wherever current residents do. As for where would people otherwise come from to fill all those units, that's what this is all about. The developer and Racine's deluded leaders (have any of them lived in a real city before, not one in their minds?) would have us believe that well-heeled professionals will be clamoring to fill the residential space. What we all know to be true, however, is that the residents will come from the same place that State and Main's residents come from. We ALL know this, but no one will talk about it.
My preference is that the former buildings had not been razed. This happens over and over in Racine. Big, gaping holes in the urban landscape that scream out, "Hi, welcome to Racine. We don't know what the hell we are doing."
You got it, Orbs. There needs to be a halt to all this razing and now that we have this mess, what do we put there?
I don't think a Hooters would look bad there....
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