[ahealy]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Agreed. It gets more sophisticated and bougie the further west you go. These projects aren't going to change that. If anything, they'll increase it. But I do think that street activity is a good thing. Seaholm (and its accompanying Trader Joe's) and the library will increase street activity in the area but they wouldn't do so nearly as much if it weren't for the streets being connected. West Street connecting to Cesar Chavez, the street connecting 3rd Street with Cesar Chavez (I don't know what they'll end up calling it), and the 2nd Street connection (most of all) will actually allow for free movement in the area so the whole area will become much more activated in the next 2 years or so. For lack of a better term, it will finally become a full-fledged member of downtown, which it hasn't been, really, over its history.

I still wish they would connect the street going through the Gables buildings with 3rd Street. At worst, a pedestrian connection, at best a sort of curving street that makes it an etension of Bowie Street. I think a pedestrian path is more realistic, though. And could end up being more interesting.

I just hope developers build character with their projects. It's more than just popping up a skyscraper with some yuppie couple in an ad doing yoga with "LIVE! WORK! PLAY!" streaming across the banner. We need permanence in each project and in these developing neighborhoods...something that encourages people to want to stay downtown instead of having some faux urban life before they buy a McMansion somewhere.