I think The Penguin owned 1/2 the Mathews Warehouse which has turned into the anchor for the Brady District thanks to the Zarrow, Hardesty, Kaiser Foundations, the Arts and Humanities Council and other supporters. I'm wondering with TU and OSU help, what did all do to get The Penguin to cooperate?
Whatever, with the Arts and Humanities council and the Living Arts Center the Brady is moving in the direction of quality over quantity. Those two can provide constant changing art product. I think the jury is still out on it ever becoming a big residential community. With landlords like the Sharks, one must question how fast and secure the Brady is from cooperative development. There's a Tip Sword that needs those properties accumulated and redeveloped. Perhaps, governments role should be to facilitate getting rid of the industrial users by forming an assessment district and zoning enhancement but the ballpark assessment will no doubt go down the tubes and this will cause ripple effects. Governments role is not to provide tax payer funds for museums and tourista trappings.
There is plenty of land down in the Brady, but like I said redevelopment needs more facilitation through the relocation of industrial users out into our newer industrial sites or even up on the hill where Evans (now TDA) holds title. The Bordens trucks are a nightmare and wouldn't it be nice to see their building behind the Old Lady transformed into mixed uses or even a Marshall's micro brewery? The ballpark has served as a nice bridge between the Brady and Blue Dome. When Boulder Bridge is completed, there will be a nice continuation towards the Arena albeit running thin on product after 3 years
. With the Mayo up for sale, it will be interesting to watch how all the old city hall area gets redirected. Education centers the Greenwood area but retailers will still be slow in coming due to the lack of demographics.
I would like to see Mayfest moved ahead into the Brady but it will take 3 more years to achieve that because of all the construction. But it's still all taking shape down on the old Shakedown Street
. An interesting mesh of old and new, disturbing history and an optimistic future, fun and education, but it will take some more cooperative effort, big bucks, government aid (not government welfare), and synergy to pull it all off....It's not ever going to be bigger than local. Better keep it under control.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MccLsc5YzrI[/youtube]
"You think you've seen this town clear through.
Well, well, well, you can never tell.
Nothin' here that could int'rest you. Well, well, well, you can never tell.
It's not because you missed out on the thing that we had to start." (Garcia/Hunter)
