What Happened to Downtown Now!?
Downtown Now!, the organization which continues to ask the question, “What’s Happening in 2004?” has managed to do something in the current year, namely, vacate their Washington Avenue storefront space.
From their site:
The Downtown Now! Marketing Center is located at 1533 Washington Avenue, and it serves as a resource for the public to gain knowledge about Downtown development. If you are interested in more information, stop by Downtown Now! or call at 314-588-0458.
Since they are no longer on Washington Ave we have one more thing out of date on the site. I do like their tag line:
Our goal is to create a vibrant, 24-hour Downtown with shops, cafes, restaurants, residential life and people.
I’m actually glad they’ve left the prominent storefront space on Washington Avenue as that is better occupied by a shop, cafe or restaurant rather than a downtown prop with limited hours.
I called the phone number above to ask where they’ve moved. Answer: 906 Olive, Suite 225. Well, they will be in good company since the Downtown St. Louis Partnership is in Suite 220. Many, myself included, think of these two organizations as one in the same. Simply by having more organizations you can have more salaried positions and you can also give each other awards.
How many cooks do we need in the kitchen? Also, can we get a european chef rather than the hometown buffet line cooks we have now?
– Steve
I’m sure all the corporate interests who benefit from whatever it is Downtown Now does know how to reach their man, Tom Reeves. They are probably planning an award for him right now for moving closer to the Partnership.
I thought perhaps that this physical move might foment a similar move towards contemporaneity in its internet presence. No such luck. If you go to their website you should check out the comprehensive downtown development plan. I was particularly interested in the Old Post Office Square (OPOS) portion of that plan. Going there one can see it hasn’t been updated in some years. It still insists on no garage on the OPOS; that any new garage(s) should be placed blocks away to encourage pedestrian traffic. It even still discusses gaining control of the Syndicate/Century block so the facades could be stabilized, the baricades removed, and street-level retail (with attendant pedestrian traffic) be reintroduced.
How cynical is that? Even the Bush administration has its Republcan lackeys in Congress change laws in order to avoid the continued breaking of the existing ones. These clowns not only ignore the edicts of “The Plan” they don’t even bother altering it to suit their actions. I guess they knew no one is watching.