Legacy Square? Nah, pie are round, cornbread are square.

Yesterday's post ...

When the prime legacy is that of a demolished building, you need to think very carefully.

... generated a brief and thoughtful discussion about the corner lot bounded by Spring and Pearl, where the post office once grandly stood before being rendered into a vacant lot by a previous generation of maladjusted community "pillars", and which only recently was tabbed by the outgoing England administration to be transformed into the city's bicentennial park.

One reason for repeating yesterday's comments today is that they're fully worthy of consideration on their own merits. More importantly, the questions and thoughts therein are precisely (and predictably) the ones not asked of the public during Mayor England's final, nepotismal, executive-writ ruling phase.

I was told one week ago by a high ranking member of the incoming Gahan administration that apparently no concrete plans exist for the vacant space, apart from an England team whim that the Horseshoe Foundation might match the city's purchase price with a grant, a feint evidently repelled.

At least John Neace made a buck.

Jeff Gillenwater said...
A square a day keeps the people at bay. But seriously, when is anyone at least going to acknowledge that it's not a square in shape or function? And, more importantly, is there room for the Emery's auxiliary building up on blocks?
10:57 AM

w&la said...
leg·a·cy: anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor.

Perhaps the "park" is aptly named after all. There are so many empty lots in New Albany, where the city's "legacy" has been wiped clean.

The very notion of naming and celebrating an empty lot as a city's bicentennial "legacy"...
1:47 PM

Iamhoosier said...
Sorry, I just don't see the awfulness in the name. I can think of a lot worse, even serious ones. Scribner Square or Place or Park or whatever to name just one. That would limit to just one part of the history of New Albany.
4:23 PM

Ryan Rogers said...
Squares are great and all, though I'm not necessarily keen on the name, but what's the big picture? Is a square going to attract more people to downtown New Albany? No; is it more visually appealing than a parking lot? Sure, but is it the fastest way and most financially sound way to move downtown New Albany from point a to b?

It seems to me that downtown New Albany already has some nice and possibly under-used green spaces (riverfront); so how could that space be utilized in a way that would actually create a legacy of revitalization?

Possibly renting/gifting the space to a local university (IUS, UL, Bellarmine) for use as a satellite campus, labs, or dorms, which would bring more young people and ultimately more money downtown.

Maybe some low-rent commercial art galleries?

Or even better city sponsored commercial art galleries/performance spaces where the city and the artist benefit from the sale of the art. This could host a yearly street art show (a la St. James Art Fair).

It should be noted I am not anti parks and green spaces, I just think the space could be utilized in a more beneficial way.
7:33 PM

RememberCharlemagne said...
Mr. Roger, you’re not the only one who thinks it could be better utilized.

To me, it appears that there was only one reason that the England Administration located the park on that corner and that reason had nothing to do with utilization of space, but more with personal connections.

The worst part of it is the parking spaces are needed.

It would be better if the city bought the lot for additional public parking. The city could re-landscape the lot and add additional parking spaces to the ones currently there.

I personally would like to see the empty lots near Market and the fire station used as a public park than the current location.
And if you like the idea of a college doing activities downtown New Albany still might have a chance of locating a college downtown. The England Administration had an opportunity, but didn’t pursue it. Another big missed step.
9:20 PM

w&la said...
And I'm reminded once again of what often happens in New Albany. The name of the park aren't the real questions.

Who owned the lot, how much was paid for the lot - and wasn't it purchased mere days before the change in administrations?
10:19 PM

Jeff Gillenwater said...
The England administration paid $162,857 for the lot. They bought it from BAM Investments, aka John Neace, a major real estate (cough) investor.

For tax purposes, the last record I could find showed an assessment of $97,200.

The sale date shows as 9/16/2011.

Turning it into parking is a horrible idea. The downtown area has far more parking than it knows what to do with.
11:35 PM