To date, all we've heard amid the secrecy of the usual suspects is a by-the-numbers celebration of the past. As Gonder instinctively grasps, the bicentennial must be open, inclusive and addressing the future. It isn't too late to rescue the occasion from the icy clutches of self-assigned respectability, is it?
Seeds Are For Planting
New Albany's bicentennial is our chance to speak to those who follow us in time to this place, a place we will not go. So far I have heard little of what we will bring to the party ...
... I offer the following modest proposal: we should build a Bicentennial Park worthy of the momentous date we commemorate next year ...
... I believe the Bicentennial Park should help us show our children and our grandchildren why New Albany is here, and why it is special to us. It is difficult to convey civic sentiment through time. We do that by building for the future.
Nice. The alignment with other current and potential green spaces is especially intriguing. A somewhat similar configuration could be imagined for the proposed River View space as well, since we already own it. Based on that ownership and previously proposed spending, we'd be way ahead financially, though not as well aligned.
ReplyDeleteEither way, improvement on the very limited but expensive "official" concepts we've heard so far should be relatively easy.
I know this is going to come off as smartass argumentative but I don't really mean it that way. I'm seriously trying to learn. I sat through 4 years of college often afraid to ask questions so as not to appear stupid. I'm now much more comfortable with my stupidity.
ReplyDeleteNot long ago there was a followup discussion about the vacant bank building, now a park, at Bank Street and Spring. John even uses this example in his posting as a positive result. In general, others questioned the demolition of the bank building due to the large amount open space already available in downtown NA. (I understand that part of the problem was the way it came about) John proposes demolishing two more urban buildings.
John proposes demolishing what is essentially one small, already significantly mangled stick-built residential building with a crappy garage attached in order to build a city park.
ReplyDeleteThe other deal involved a much more substantial commercial building with no idea of what was coming.
Yes yes yes, make the Main & Bank park with signage saying you are entering a historic district - slowdown.
ReplyDeleteI think we also desperately the little pocket park at Spring & Pearl. We've got to start replanting some of the "broken teeth" downtown. We need shady oasis dotted about 7 places downtown. All with fountains, let's become the fountain town with the shady oasis.
And while the space available - a dog park.