Montgomery development news

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by nimsjus

Came down from Auburn for the Biscuits game last night against my hometown team. I know you already know it, but you guys did the stadium thing right. I love the reuse of the old buildings and the park blends beautifully. I wish Mobile could have done something similar. Instead we built and obselete, boring, suburban, stadium in the 90's just before the urban renewal thing got really hot in Mobile. I guess I will be abck next time you guys play Mobile to redeem my rain check.

Let us know when you do. We just may meet you there.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by Chad Emerson

A Dover Kohl-led team arrives this week for a weeklong charrette for a new TND on the Hudson Farms property in East Montgomery.

The property is where Thorington t-bones into Pike Road and then goes southeast down Pike Road to roughly Wallahatchie.

Not sure if there are any public presentation scheduled for the charrette (as it is a private property charrette--still though, they should consider doing at least one public info session as the Hampstead project did), but I've met with the team they've put together and its a very strong one.

The 2,000+ acre project also plans to use Montgomery's SmartCode.

Thanks for the info, Chad.

This land was annexed into the city about ten years ago for a major development but nothing else was said about it...until now.

And with Dover Kohl involved in this development, as the Donald would say: "This is going to be huge."

[Brown Duckz]

Montgomery ranked No. 9 by magazine


Expansion Magazine, a publication for decision-makers at corporations, ranked Montgomery as the No. 9 small metro area for recruiting new and expanding businesses.

Auburn-Opelika ranked No. 3 on the list, and Gadsden and Anniston gave Alabama four areas in the top 20.

Overall, the magazine ranked Alabama as the No. 9 state for business expansion and relocation.

[thoraudio]

Funniest thing today. I don't usually listen to The Greg Show, the little I have heard showed it was a typical 'this city sucks, lets blame the blacks and the mayor' type stuff, when he actually had real topics on.

Today, I got got tired of Finebaum's junk, so I flipped over and it was on. They were bashing the Mayor about the city's decision this last weekend to not let a music promotion at the Amphitheater to use the city's liquor license. They usually bash the mayor because of crime, but this time they were on him about this... So, somebody from the mayor's office calls up (unofficially of course), and just let's Greg have it... full on rant about the legit reasons the license wasn't allowed, and the timing, bashing Greg hard for his comments about something he wasn't a party to on any level, pretty much pwnt his butt. Then Greg shouts back a question, the guy tries to answer but Greg totally loses it, starts screaming about 'it's my show, you can't come on here and talk to me like that', cuts the guy off, and goes on a 5 minute complete meltdown, crying and screaming like a girl at a mouse.

I hate shows like his, because not matter how moronic, the host always gets the last line, and will always allow his cronies to come on and fluff his ego after the fact.

Anyway, I had a good laugh at it

[bystander1]

^ Yeah, he's a goofball.

[bystander1]

City Loft Corp. puts fresh face on Montgomery

By Melanie LeMay

MONTGOMERY – The Lowder name is synonymous with real estate development, especially in Montgomery, where the company is headquartered.

Nevertheless, Anna Lowder never planned to enter the family business and never thought she’d find herself moving back to her hometown.

After saying goodbye to her close-knit graduating class at Montgomery’s Trinity School in the early ’90s, she embarked on an academic track that led her from Washington and Lee University on to Boston University and study abroad in London. It was at American University of London that Anna met Harvi Sahota, a native Brit with a keen interest in design.

With family ties to India and considerable travel experience, Harvi was right at home with London’s fast pace and diverse population. He and Anna reveled in the lifestyle there. With land at a premium, Londoners use every square foot of real estate to its maximum, layering small flats with retail stores and restaurants. “Everything was close,” Anna says. “You could walk from your home to just about any other place you wanted or needed to go.”

At the same time, the European tradition of mixed-use real estate was enjoying a resurgence in the United States, thanks in part to city planners such as Andrés Duany and Elizabeth Plater-Zyberk, perhaps best-known for creating Seaside in Florida.

The idea of mixed-use real estate was still new to Montgomery, however, when Harvi began accompanying Anna on trips home to visit her family and friends. Surveying Montgomery for the first time, Harvi was fascinated with the city’s patterns of development. He was especially interested in how Montgomery’s history had shaped the visual style of the city, its way of life and its potential for growth.

“He was so inspired that he wrote his dissertation on Montgomery,” Anna says, bringing out a thick volume of brilliant color photos interspersed with commentary printed on vellum.

“He wrote the dissertation for the master’s degree program at the Royal College of Art in London, and actually put part of the dissertation into this book. Harvi did all the photography, and designed the book as well.” She laughs. “You can tell we have a classic overachiever here.”

“Before you can envision changes to any community, you must understand why it’s become what it is,” Harvi says. “What we saw in Montgomery was prevalent in many American cities. Anna and I both understood the reasons for urban flight and the development of zoning laws. But we also saw how American communities were limiting growth and lifestyle choices by enacting some of those laws and encouraging people to live far away from the heart of our cities.”

As they continued to visit Montgomery, Anna and Harvi heard the first rumblings about downtown revitalization. Excited by the possibilities, they began to develop a vision that would incorporate not only their mutual interest in design and project development, but also allow them to share with Anna’s hometown the way of life she had come to love in London.

And that is how, when she was not yet 30, Anna Lowder returned to Montgomery to live and work. She and the 32-year-old Harvi started their own company, City Loft Corp., and developed the first set of loft condominiums in an old warehouse on North Court Street.

“We wanted to attract people to the downtown area who could benefit from the convenience of the location, the amenities of the new lofts, and the freedom from yard work and commuting,” Anna says.

“Of course, we knew the best way to show we believed in the project was to move into one of the lofts ourselves.”

She, Harvi and their Yorkie, Oscar moved into one of the lofts and made the storefront offices below into the headquarters for their business.

“We love living here,” Anna says. “We have the high ceilings and original brick walls from the old warehouse, but the modern amenities that are important to people like us.” (One of the first items on their amenity list, for example, was wireless connectivity.)

Loft living is unique in many ways, Anna says. “A loft does have a very artistic feel to it, and appeals to creative people. When I walk in at the end of the day and see the sunset streaming through the windows of our loft onto the old brick warehouse walls – I feel very, very lucky to live in such a beautiful place.”

While Harvi and Anna have a keen eye for aesthetics, their style is not aggressive or ostentatious. Their sunny offices are filled with colorful exterior renderings of current and future projects. They dress casually, and share their ideas with infectious enthusiasm and energy. The synergy between them is obvious, as is their mutual respect.

“We’re totally committed to our projects,” Anna says. “It’s a good thing we really love our work, because we’re either down here doing it or upstairs talking about it.”
She waves away the very idea of having children. “Right now, the Cloverdale project and Hampstead are our children,” she says. “And Oscar, of course.”

It’s ironic that Anna Lowder went all the way to London, only to meet the man who would open her eyes to a city she’d seen every day for 18 years. “When Harvi’s beside me, I see Montgomery differently,” she says. “His fresh perspective and my experience with the city help us develop concepts that are both progressive and realistic. We want to make a real difference here.”

Central Alabama Business Journal

[Brown Duckz]

McGregor bets heavily on VictoryLand growth

By Rick Harmon
rharmon@gannett.com


Milton McGregor is making the largest bet ever at VictoryLand. The owner of the dogtrack/electronic bingo facility off the Shorter exit of Interstate 85 is wagering more than $100 million that he can turn VictoryLand into a major tourism destination by vastly increasing its entertainment offerings, rather than its gambling.

When the new VictoryLand opens in approximately two years, he said it will feature a luxury hotel that will accommodate 300-500 people, a top-flight entertainment complex that may accommodate about 1,500 people and at least three restaurants.

"We are going to have a fine steak house restaurant, a first-class seafood restaurant and the largest buffet anywhere in the Southeast," McGregor said. "We are even considering a fourth restaurant."

The expansion, which McGregor said he has been planning for between six and eight years, won't just bring more tourists, but more jobs. McGregor predicts between 600-800 new jobs.

Those jobs are one of the reasons that Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford will be at VictoryLand at 2 p.m. today, honoring McGregor with a proclamation from the Tuskegee City Council.

"While the state is announcing how proud it is to have new foreign industries locating in Alabama, I think we have to give as much recognition and praise to a local industry that is making a $100 million investment here in Alabama," Ford said. "For us in Macon County, VictoryLand is our Hyundai, our Mercedes, our German steel plant.

"It is an Alabama home-grown industry that is already the highest tax payer in our county and employs more people than any other institution here."

Ford sees the hundreds of jobs the expansion will create as huge for the area, especially since VictoryLand has tried to hire local workers whenever possible. But he said he believes the expansion will create more jobs outside of VictoryLand.

"The Tuskegee Airman National Park site also will be opening up next April," Ford said. "That is a $29 million project, and it's going to attract around 400,000 tourists on a national basis. Now, instead of coming for the day, people may stay several days."

McGregor said that is one of the reasons for the expansion.

He said many of the people who come to VictoryLand come from Georgia and Florida, specifically Georgia. But many come for the day and then drive several hours back.

He believes the VictoryLand expansion will allow them to stay for a weekend, and will give non-gamblers who may be with them plenty to do.

Another reason is to keep people from driving non-stop through Alabama.

"Right now, you have a lot of people driving through Alabama to go to the casinos in Mississippi," he said. "We want to give those people more of a reason to stop and to stay in the state."

One of those reasons will be top entertainers, such as Kenny Rogers, Lionel Richie, Ronnie Milsap, and The Commodores. He also plans to bring in current stars along with the classic ones.

"My goal is to have a big artist come in about every other week, and to put on maybe two or three shows while they are here," he said.

He said he will keep the shows cheap, partially because they are a great advertisement for VictoryLand.

"We put on a free Ronnie Milsap concert, and I saw people I'd never seen out here before," he said. "The thing was a lot of them came back. They said they just hadn't realized how much there was to do out here until the concert brought them out."

Although he's talked with consultants about the expansion, he said he didn't need to. He said he's already talked with literally thousands of people over the years who have urged him to put a nice hotel, nice restaurants and bring live acts to VictoryLand so they didn't have to drive all the way to Mississippi.

He is counting on the expansion to bring almost half-a-million more people a year to the facility.

"We get about 2 1/2 million visitors a year now," he said. "We believe this will increase attendance by about 15 to 20 percent."

One structure has already been built. It's a parking deck, but McGregor points out that it is a nice one.

"It's five levels, has several hundred security monitors, music throughout, and has elevators on all the levels," he said. "It is one of the nicest parking decks I've seen anywhere in the Southeast."

The parking deck, which he started constructing in April 2006 and which was completed ahead of schedule in April 2007, holds about 8,000 cars. Experts tell him the cars will carry an average of 2.7 people each so that about 20,000 people will be able to park there.

The decision to start the construction with the parking deck was an easy one. The rest of the construction project is so massive it takes up almost 60 percent of the existing parking lot.

He believes the expansion, which should be completed in June 2009, will bring in enough tourism to have a direct economic impact on Macon County and most of the surrounding central Alabama counties including Montgomery. But, he said, if the success of Mississippi's gaming/entertainment facilities is any indication, that tourism could also have a major indirect impact on the entire state.

While hopeful that VictoryLand would increase tourism, Alabama Tourism Director Lee Sentell was also cautious in his optimism. He said that while the Mississippi casinos have been successful in increasing tourism, one also needed to recognize that the gambling laws in Mississippi are far different from those in Alabama.

[Brown Duckz]

Nice write-up regarding Nancy Patterson's Bistro, the first tenant at the new Cloverdale development.

Nancy Paterson's Bistro
3 forks



Nancy Paterson's Bistro is one of the first tenants in the Atlantic & Pacific buildings in Cloverdale. The atmosphere is inviting in simple elegance with table and bench seating inside and tables for outside dining. It's the kind of place my fellow Cloverdale residents probably wish we had more of. The menu includes salads, sandwiches and entrees with a variety of options within each category.

Upon entering, a host is there to greet you with a smile and show you to your seat. The staff is dressed well in a white shirt/khaki pants theme. Everyone was friendly and provided attentive service. The kitchen is in plain view and diners at the bar can watch food being prepared.

The crab cakes are a good lunch option. They arrive warm and breaded in the center of a bed of leafy greens with a lemon vinaigrette. The cakes are not greasy, which is sometimes the case at some other places. They are also not overly breaded; it's all meat in the middle. The greens are fresh and crisp and the vinaigrette isn't overpowering and provides a nice, tangy complement to the meal.

The penne pasta with shrimp, wild mushrooms and leeks also earned a strong endorsement from a guest. The shrimp are large and not skimpy. The bowl is filled, but not with an intimidating amount.

Sandwiches also earn points when it comes to presentation. And they deliver on flavor, according to another guest. His choice was steak and arrived open-faced with cheese. It received a "spectacular" upon disappearing from the plate.

The tilapia with black bean and mango salsa is another standout. The fish is served on a flour tortilla with leafy greens and topped with black beans and salsa with large mango chunks. The fish is breaded and, like the crab cakes, not greasy. The meat is flaky on the inside, tender and delicious. The black beans and salsa add a spicy/sweet element to the dish. The tortilla provides options for how to eat the dish. It also provides a means of getting all the flavors together at once. Overall, it works well.

The food is worth the money. The prices run a little higher than some other places; a meal for two ran $35.60 and a meal for three cost $43.45.

One problem did occur with a dish, however. A guest requested the penne pasta dish with chicken. He was served a shell pasta dish with shrimp on a bed of leafy greens. He chose not to send the dish back and enjoyed it a great deal. The dish looked great and apparently tasted the same way. The shell pasta had a creamy sauce, but was not burdened with too much. My guest does not eat a lot of shrimp, but the dish received a "really good." The error could probably be attributed to a hectic lunch rush.

This is where any issues with Nancy Paterson's arose. The place appears to be incredibly popular with the lunch crowd, as a lot of newer restaurants are. This, no doubt, can increase the chances of a meal mix-up.

We chose to sit outside on one trip to avoid a wait. A rapidly approaching storm cut that short before our meals arrived. We went inside but there was nowhere to sit. We then were faced with a wait. The hostess knew we had ordered and worked to have us seated quickly. It seems the staff works well and is more than capable. But when faced with a packed restaurant and people waiting, my guests and I were understanding. Perhaps we are too laid back, but I imagine if the same had happened in a half-full restaurant, we would have had a much different reaction.

With everything taken into account, Nancy Paterson's Bistro earns a strong recommendation.

[thoraudio]

I'm all for the redevelopment of downtown... but I don't think these buildings need to go.

Fate of historic downtown buildings divides city

By Andre Coe


The old buildings on South Perry Street are like the fairy tale that time forgot. Years of neglect, out-of-place makeovers and absentee ownership have made these old buildings the ugly ducking in the downtown landscape. It's time for some of them to come down, city officials say.

But knocking them down will not only create a void in the block, it will leave a hole in the city's history, preservationists argue.

Regardless, a new multilevel parking deck is planned for the area that will require parts or all of some buildings to be demolished. If anyone wants to stop their demolition and begin restoration immediately, Mayor Bobby Bright says he will lobby on that person's behalf and stop the wrecking ball.

Bright said preservation of the buildings is the city's first priority, but, when you have reached a point of diminishing returns, other action must be taken.

The front portions of the buildings may be saved to preserve the area's architectural history, said Ken Groves, director of the city planning and development department. Groves said saving a portion of the structures will require "a usable amount" of building, at least a 10-foot minimum, but possibly 60 to 70 feet.

The city is advertising for demolition experts to determine the cost in case a building needs to be demolished, Groves said.

The news has preservation groups concerned.

"If we tear those buildings down, it's like Humpty Dumpty. You can never put them back together again," said Dr. Richard Bailey, chairman of the city's Historic Preservation Commission. "Montgomery has the history. You can go to Charleston or Richmond, but we have it right here."

The district includes a one-block area of South Perry Street between Dexter and Washington avenues. With the exception of a few businesses, many buildings on the block are empty.

Inside one building, the air was hot and musty. A few items were strewn on a carpet worn by frequent use. Further back, parts of the ceiling were rotted, the holes surrounded by scores of black spots. Items were scattered all about: a refrigerator in the center, piles of clothes in a corner, a mattress turned to the side in another, and an unused litter box.

Outside, the buildings are shells that belie their original grandeur. Some of the buildings are boarded up and have broken windows.

In another, trash bags are piled deep and in plain view from the sidewalk. The facades are coated with cracked paint and protected by rusted overhangs.

Other buildings appear to be sound and look like they would make a good loft or business space. With few tenants in the buildings, most people just pass by without giving a second look.

But people are aware of them.

Valencia Jones passed by the buildings while on a lunch break. She said she's indifferent about them because there's really nothing in downtown to enjoy anyway. The buildings -- with their broken windows and cracked paint -- are depressing, she said.

So is the rest of downtown, she adds.

"Now, I understand the history here, but why have something standing that is not serving any purpose? I would never walk by (the buildings) and say, 'I remember that.' "

Others said bringing more restaurants and department stores to the area would revitalize downtown. Parking is OK, they said, but who will it benefit if there is nothing for them to enjoy?

"I've noticed that in downtown Birmingham and Mobile they have sort of an entertainment district with bars and restaurants to get young people into the area," said Hutch Segrest. "I've noticed they even got Applebee's in one old building in downtown Birmingham. I guess I'm saying don't take out a whole city block. Don't penalize the good for the ones that have been let go."

Hydreca Lewis said she would like to see more department stores in addition to the restaurants.

"When you go to other cities, you have options like that," she said. "Group them together so people won't have to drive around a long time."

The Alabama Trust for Historic Preservation and the Alabama Historical Commission placed the district on its "Places in Peril" list last month. The annual report lists historic places in the state that are in an advanced state of decay or are in danger of being demolished, but it does not protect them from demolition.

The commission requested a national historic district designation in 1984 from the Department of the Interior. That designation is honorary, however, and doesn't prevent the buildings from being demolished. Local municipalities have the final decision.

Anyone willing to restore the buildings may be eligible for a 20 percent federal tax credit if the property owner follows guidelines from the U.S. Department of the Interior, said Melanie Betz, an architectural historian with the commission.

Until then, the clock is ticking on the South Perry Street Historic District.

[Brown Duckz]

Good article. I think the whole block could be turned into a large-scale urban development...... where the fascade matches all the way down the street. The building at the corner of Dexter/Perry is my pick for the next "conversion" site.

Some of these comments on TalkAlabama are rather amusing......


Since Mayor "Dimwit" is trying so hard to make everything happen downtown, he should be one of the first to try to preserve these building and say no to the wrecking ball.

Mayor Bright already acknowledged the fact that he is trying to save these buildings, but there comes a time when you pull the plug if there is no private investment. This person must think that Bright can wave a wand at the block and make it upscale or something. Some people talk more than they think.



As it is right now, if a family wants to go out to eat before going to a Biscuits game or to some other activity downtown, they have to eat on the east side of down.

This commenter says they work Downtown, and they don't know about the two dozen restaurants?



It's almost like the city has moved and downtown is not even a part of Montgomery anymore.

Except for the fact that the whole metro area revloves around Downtown whether they'd like to admit it or not?

[thoraudio]

I ate at Boomer T's today, just because of what idiot Greg and the AL.com'ers are up to...

It's depresses me though.... Montgomery is growing, the whole region is... lots of good stuff going on. And while it's far, far from perfect, to listen to the the ftards at al.com or talkalabama, or the Advertiser forums, you'd think Montgomery was the equivalent of Tikrit or N.O at the height of flooding... And, because of my location in Prattville, I'm continually exposed to people who 'hate' the city....

They want to praise Mayor Folmar for all he did to prevent crime, when the truth of the matter is, violent crimes are at or below the same level as during Mayor Folmar's term..

They don't understand that the reason that Montgomery Mall and the Southside is suffering is because of white flight to EASTCHASE!!

Don't get me wrong.... I'm pragmatic to a fault, and the city does have a problem with a thug culture (although I hate to use that word, as it's rapidly becoming a substitute for a racial perjorative). But the lies, mistruths, and negativity being portrayed are killing me.

[Brown Duckz]

The thug culture is all over the south in every major city... it's not something that Montgomery created, nor does Montgomery have a special case of it. For anyone who thinks that the "city of Montgomery" has moved out east needs a crash course on life.

The people "hating" on Boomer T's over at whatever forum [I saw it]... can keep behind their keyboards, because they won't say the things in person or in public, they are what I consider a "Keyboard Warrior". For anyone to take stabs at someone ACTUALLY investing in Downtown is very sad......... but even MORE sad is that these "stabbers" are the ones also taking shots at the whole idea of redevelopment Downtown and Mayor Bright.

/end rant

[Brown Duckz]

Ok, not done.

The same people, when questioned, only whine about "my tax dollars this" and "my tax dollars that" ..... when actually, the places these people are located don't need the tax dollars that the rest of Montgomery needs to revitalize. If the person in question resides outside the city, and is using those whiney comments

[ExpatBaman]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

I'm all for the redevelopment of downtown... but I don't think these buildings need to go.

Totally agree. This is crazy. These are exactly the kinds of buildings that were restored to make Charleston and Savannah what they are today. Restoration and adaptive reuse of historic buildings is a key part of downtown revitalization.

The number of downtown buildings with real character that are left standing is way too low already. Shame on the city for even considering this kind of demolition. Why not build the parking deck in the interior of that block and have it front on that gaping hole along Washington Ave.?

[EXbubba]

Interesting to hear about all the naysayers and their tax dollars. The city has always been full of em, powerful and not so powerful. The fact is that aside from the riduculous sales tax MGM and AL as a whole is so undertaxed, that it is amazing they do what do with the money they have (sales taxes again). You're certainly right about the knownothings on the other sites, but it is curiuous that with all the lawyers in MGM, someone hasn't developed those spaces. I bet the owners are simalar to those other fools on Dexter waiting for their ship to come in to sell the property for zillions while - for lack of better metaphor they are literally strangling the "golden goose" of growth because they won't develop or let go of their dilapitdated property.

[bystander1]

Originally Posted by thoraudio

... And, because of my location in Prattville, I'm continually exposed to people who 'hate' the city....

Yeah, I feel really bad for you dude. That has to be really irritating...

But think about this...when there were no naysayers, there wasn't a lot going on. But when the naysayers came out, the number of developments went up. The more they talk, the more the developments the city gets anyway. So obviously it's not like they have any clout.

[neilson]

Originally Posted by bystander1

Yeah, I feel really bad for you dude. That has to be really irritating...

But think about this...when there were no naysayers, there wasn't a lot going on. But when the naysayers came out, the number of developments went up. The more they talk, the more the developments the city gets anyway. So obviously it's not like they have any clout.

Here's all I'm going to say on this and it ought to give you guys an understanding.

Believe it or not, there are ppl that would rather have a Montgomery-sized city that has little in the way of "stuff to do" like we see downtown today, but someplace that is more "comforting" to them. Yes it'd be very bland and dull for some of us on here, but I'm just being honest. Don't jump on my back for spelling it out.

[Brown Duckz]

Those people are from yesteryear, and if you haven't noticed, there is an uprising of young people in today's society that want a vibrant Downtown like most major cities are trying to promote. The older, "more informed" crowd has moved out east or north of the river... have bad things to say about this city, but still commute daily to their well payed job that is made possible because of the strength and development of Montgomery. Prattville isn't growing only because everyone wants to live there, but rather because of it's close proximity to salaries that can fuel the home building. It's basically the same story out East, but of course a lot of it still falls into the city limits. I can't understand anyone who "hates" on Montgomery and doesn't want to see it redevelop and achieve better things. Everything that becomes good in this region is a direct impact of Montgomery.

[neilson]

Originally Posted by Brown Duckz

Those people are from yesteryear, and if you haven't noticed, there is an uprising of young people in today's society that want a vibrant Downtown like most major cities are trying to promote. The older, "more informed" crowd has moved out east or north of the river... have bad things to say about this city, but still commute daily to their well payed job that is made possible because of the strength and development of Montgomery. Prattville isn't growing only because everyone wants to live there, but rather because of it's close proximity to salaries that can fuel the home building. It's basically the same story out East, but of course a lot of it still falls into the city limits. I can't understand anyone who "hates" on Montgomery and doesn't want to see it redevelop and achieve better things. Everything that becomes good in this region is a direct impact of Montgomery.

And I agree with you on that fact. Development is good and a vibrant downtown speaks a lot too. But you have to look at some of those ppl from "yesteryear" and remember that they too were young like us once upon a time 20, 30 years ago. I'm sure most of them moved to Montgomery at a young age to begin their adult lives too. There were fun things to do in the Capital City in the 1970s and 1980s for ppl in our age range(20somethings and 30somethings), I mean that's what makes everybody long for their own "good ole days". In 20 years, our kids are gonna be having their own definitions of what a vibrant, fun city is and we might just end up being the oldtimers.

[Brown Duckz]

I think urban junkies will always be just that, but I do agree--there will be a new generation that thinks differently, but these people's thoughts are to kill the center city and let there suburbs blossom. Exactly who benefits from that?