Quote:
Originally Posted by pbenjamin
The bar/restaurant has been empty for several years. I remember thinking that someone would have managed to reopen it in time for the MLB All Star Game festivities in 2011 but it did not. Back when it was in business, it seemed to do pretty well before/after games. I've never understood why it has been empty for so long.
Looks like the building on the corner is retained but some new building(s) will be added.
https://www.google.com/maps/place/24...505fbbe9a145fc
People have been going to Cooperstown all those years that it has been sitting there empty, I don't think that this will hurt, but it certainly won't help.
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Yea, the impact isn't on Cooperstown, it's on the potential of creating a district as a whole. If the existing building stock closest to the sports stadiums is being used for businesses that are closed by 5pm, it isn't going to create the sort of atmosphere that is conducive toward attracting patronage to bars, restaurants and nightlife, which is what a block of historic buildings adjacent to an entertainment district should easily support. It's obvious now that the entire Warehouse District, including Jackson now, is set to just become an employment hub for startups and other companies seeking cheap land/buildings. Hopefully, at least a few more places like Cooperstown open up so that residential is viable and pedestrians/workers/residents at least have decent food options in the area.
Again, this is better than the district sitting empty and the buildings being torn down or abandoned indefinitely. But, I still think the former Madison hotels and Jackson Street should've been home to authentic restaurants, bars, breweries, boutiques, etc. as the CityScape area grows into a more national/chain-based retail hub. But, there's simply no synergies to be built now as buildings are repurposed or demo'd. All of this employment growth would've been great, just further south.
At this point, I really wish the W had been built on schedule when the market could still support it. A Chinatown relic sitting there without any public use indefinitely isn't benefiting the city or residents. What a shame it couldn't become the Rock n Roll HOF Branch as planned, with a modern addition for a Chinese cultural exhibit of some sort.