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Yippie! How long does it say the revitalization will take? The cola daily article says “22 to 4 months”. I’m hoping she meant to put 2-4 months which would be lightening speed IMO.
Yippie! How long does it say the revitalization will take? The cola daily article says “22 to 4 months”. I’m hoping she meant to put 2-4 months which would be lightening speed IMO.
I’ve read 2 years so I assume they meant 22-24 months
Hurray..I remember when the park first open. It had a cafe on Laurel Street and was the site of many high school date night strolls prom, graduation picture taking (before social media). Even landmark festival like the now defunt Mayfest was hosted there and the island stage was an attractive amenity for evening concerts along with the meandering walkway beneath the fountain. Then teenagers with loud music and cruising late 90s early 2000s started to dominate the space and the residents on the hill (and likely the Governor at the time) had the parking lot block off. Some fights and a shooting later.. and most of the casual visitors were gone and the police ended the teen take overs.. and that left a void that was filled by the homeless. With no advocacy group to push for its restoration.. it languished until now.
I suspect the push to have the old veterans affairs building turned into apartments, the City's purchase of the Main Post office and rumors that Richland County may decamp from their Court House across Assembly opening the door for a major anchor project on northern end of Main Street.. may have forced this second look at the park not to mention efforts to move the Oliver Gospel Mission and the Shelter on Main@ Elmwood.
The biggest challenge is activating that space. I think those project sites that I mentioned above with housing, hotel or other attractions may help but doing something to connect the park to Downtown Main Street across Assembly is critical.. Assembly is a River of Asphalt and that crossing is at the bottom of a racetrack hill which makes it not attractive to cross. Some Streetscaping and attractive pylons (not flexpost please) need to be put in place to connect it with downtown proper
I saw awhile ago that one of the plans for the park for people crossing the road is to run tunnels under Assembly Street. You know how I am when it comes to that stuff. I love the idea of connecting Pedestrian Tunnels and walkways throughout the city.
I saw awhile ago that one of the plans for the park for people crossing the road is to run tunnels under Assembly Street. You know how I am when it comes to that stuff. I love the idea of connecting Pedestrian Tunnels and walkways throughout the city.
Yeah.. I remember you posted something about a network of skywalks with one crossing over Assembly.. Some people dont like pedestrian bridges because it takes people off the street. I think at this location it would be appropriate. I believe the key is what is built on the Richland County Courts site (if/when they move) and what the City does with the Main Post Office site.. when they eventually move. It would seem like a good place to connect two "developments" with a pedestrian bridge and get people comfortably over Assembly Street to the Park. One site could be a hotel and the other maybe an apartment building seems likely. I am afraid an underground tunnel may be avoided by many unless is it staffed and has good lighting for reasons I dont need to explain.
The Mayor mentioned a flyover, similar to the high line in NYC, over Assembly as a possibility down the line.
Ironically, there used to be a single track RR Trestle that went airborne at Lincoln at Senate Street just south of the Blue Marlin (which was the former Amtrak Station) and followed Lincoln Street all the way down to the vicinity of Capital City Ballpark then went west through Olympia before making ground contact in the track work as it goes over the Congaree into Cayce.. That track was abandoned from Earlewood to the track work in Olympia when the RR Corridor was built in the vista where the current Amtrak Station. There was debate over preserving the trestle but the decision was made to take it down. Had it been there today. I am sure it would have been used as a way to take people from the Vista...to atleast the Greek Village in a NYC Highline type fashion with connections to the Colonial Center and related developments that would emerge along the route...especially with the introduction of scooters and the popularity of cycling..
A similar bridge exists in USC that was built for pedestrians along the Marion St axis from Catawba Street to Blossom. I believe the segment around Wheat Street has been removed but it used to be a continuous pedestrian experience.
The Mayor mentioned a flyover, similar to the high line in NYC, over Assembly as a possibility down the line.
Wait where did he mention a Flyover? I would like to know. Heck I would like to get a 1 on 1 with out new mayor. I did for Bob Coble and Mayor Benjamin.
Yeah.. I remember you posted something about a network of skywalks with one crossing over Assembly.. Some people dont like pedestrian bridges because it takes people off the street. I think at this location it would be appropriate. I believe the key is what is built on the Richland County Courts site (if/when they move) and what the City does with the Main Post Office site.. when they eventually move. It would seem like a good place to connect two "developments" with a pedestrian bridge and get people comfortably over Assembly Street to the Park. One site could be a hotel and the other maybe an apartment building seems likely. I am afraid an underground tunnel may be avoided by many unless is it staffed and has good lighting for reasons I dont need to explain.
The thing is Many places around the world has skywalks that doesn't diminish the Ground level experience at all. This will just elevate the walking and pedestrian experience. No one will be forced to take it. it will just be another option for those who want to or on days like this past Sunday Morning into the mid afternoon where it was just non stop pouring rain. I would have loved to have a series of skywalks to be in while in downtown yesterday instead of in the floods.
If we are gonna build something like that we need to integrated it well that it compliments the Street Level activities. just look at a lot of places in Asia that are building it. Like Tokyo has a bunch of them and it doesn't kill the ground level at all. I think people are scared of the idea because what was seen with a few american cities that built these. I think the issue many people dont realize is the reason a lot of cities in america that have built the skywalks or tunnel networks have pulled people off the streets is because their streets are built for the cars so of course no one is gonna take the time to be outside when theres nothing out there. But now with the knowldge we have today about how important our streets are to people I think we can still build a skywalk mixed Tunnel network and still have busy vibrate streets.
If I can find my picture I made again I did make it that a lot of the network was ground level walkways too.
Wait where did he mention a Flyover? I would like to know. Heck I would like to get a 1 on 1 with out new mayor. I did for Bob Coble and Mayor Benjamin.
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