It’s good that Commerce Street owners and residents aren’t waiting for city planners to spell out what their downtown neighborhood should look like — they’re moving ahead with plans for loft conversions, artist galleries and other revitalization ideas in keeping with these urban pioneers’ longtime vision of a funky alternative arts district.
City officials, who will eventually approve a Downtown Neighborhood Redevelopment Plan for this area, have wisely let Commerce Street stakeholders take the lead.
When the downtown arena was approved, some feared that this kind of locally driven, organic, small-scale regrowth would be pushed aside or overwhelmed by monolithic, top-down redevelopment plans.
That hasn’t happened so far. Where there is already momentum from locals with a direct stake in the area, it makes sense for public officials to get out of the way and let it happen.
Posted by Randy Scholfield
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33 Comments
Power to the People!!
We can’t let whitey hold us down!!
Please let the blacks live free and to be black. We need the whites as prey, and the white majority holds us back from the American dream. To take what we want and do what we want to and to live in America doing nothing and living off of others.
Jim G or should I say troll Jim G?
Not sure what that has to do with anything, chanting a few phrases without explicity expressing your discontent about a specific matter is not very effect.
Of course, I may be spitting in the wind here if it is a troll. :)
it was a troll.
The Koch family can’t get tax payer subsidized skyboxes in a loft or gallery.
So the City Council doesn’t care.
So how do all the homeless fit into the plan? Seems to me the whole downtown area has become a big dumping ground for all the addicts and mentally ill. Art galleries and loft apartments? I’m not sure I’d pay high dollar rent to live in a neighborhood where I can’t walk down the street with out getting asked for a handout. It happens to me several times a week when I’m working, the last guy even got really aggressive because I said “no”.Nope, there’s no way I’d ever choose to live in a neighborhood with those who have become too comfortable with being homeless and destitute.
Mary,I live downtown albeit in a secure building. I agree that there are several homeless guys who walk about the area. It is my impression that as the area becomes more secure and populated that the homeless will move to other areas, maybe your neighborhood.If you are going to live downtown it is good to have a few bucks in your pocket to help out those who ask. Why, because saying no could get you clipped. Why, because giving a few bucks to someone is a nice thing to do.I do not think the area is ready for nighttime waltzing….but it is fun because of the location of so many interesting things.I swore I would not mow another lawn when I left my hometown….it’s been 20 years and I haven’t had a lawn…and I love it.
“Nope, there’s no way I’d ever choose to live in a neighborhood with those who have become too comfortable with being homeless and destitute.”
Then convince someone to stop pulling dollars away from funding programs for the mentally ill and addicted. Support housing programs for the homeless and low income. Help stamp out the bureaucracy an non-compassion in the Section 8 offices. And support more funding for disabled American Veterans who are roaming the streets destitute and homeless!Until then, the ivory towers will overlook the “real world” of hungry and hurting people!
Why the heck should I give money to some degenerate who will probalbly just go buy booze or drugs? If one of those scumbags gets aggressive with me they will be picking up their teeth off the ground!
I once offered to buy a homeless guy breakfast but he refused and just wanted the money so I told him to take a flying leap at the moon!
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
Ian,
Better yet, I carry coupons to Spangles, Mc Donald’s, etc. It is easy to distinguish those who actually want food if they turn down one of those! I rarely carry much money on the street.
By the way.. be very careful thinking you can beat up one of those guys.. they live in a violent environment and many are quick to fight and are very experienced.
It’s not like you could not have spared a buck Mary.
kansassam-You carry coupons to give to the homeless? I find that just a tad unbelievable. Where do you see all these homeless folks? In the morning, you have your wallet, coins, papers and coupons? Oh, brother.
fleet..
I see them on Friday nights, Saturday nights and Sunday mornings mostly.
Who is trolling Randy Scholfield? Since when did he not believe in central planning or a government heavy solution.
Really impressive troll who can start a thread under a false name. . .
I refuse to enable people who are addicted, JR. I’d not be against giving them coupons for food, like Kansassam does. What I notice is that they know what time people go to work, so they wait in the parking lot and approach you as you get out of your car. When I’m seeing patients downtown, I get approached all the time, and I have given money, even though I know better.We have over a hundred foodbanks in town and there are numerous places and a state agency where people can get food and help. Giving the destitute money so they can support a habit that keeps them down isn’t the thing to do, it only makes the person giving them a dollar feel better, it does absolutly nothing to help them or their situation.
BDP fleet
Ksam happens to be one of the very few Christians who practices what he preaches. And I think the only such person on this blog.
Try showing a little more respect for a truly respectable poster and human being. Learn from him instead of laughing.
We all know you need the help.
Fleetwood, I have considered carrying food to give them when I get approached, even though that’s not what they really want.
I agree with Mary on that issue. Either offer to go with them to buy food or give them food. Never give them dollars.. 99% of the time it will go to drugs or alcohol.
JR..
don’t worry about fleet.. he knows me not, and I am not offended. But thanks for watching my back!!
I am all in favor of being charitable but folks need to be willing help themselves and most of these people ar not. So be it, but they shouldn’t be allowed to accost or harm decent folk!
Viva La Raza Blanco!!
Sam,I know you can’t, and I understand why, but I’ve been known to hand some of them a little cash at times, even knowing that it will most likely go for alcohol or drugs. Given the reality many of them face, even if it does, that few hours of false vacation it gives them may be an improvement.
Jed..One of the most difficult things I have had to learn is to say “no”. Sometimes it just breaks your heart because their story is so sad. That is why I rarely carry money, that way I don’t have to lie to them when I say I don’t have any to give them. Most of them don’t even ask anymore, they know I will help them in other ways if they truly need it.Don’t feel bad for giving in.. it may be someone new in town that hasn’t discovered that there is someplace in Wichita they can eat every day if they just learn the schedule!
How many homeless are there in this city, Sam? I heard that the city is going to try and figure it out. I think the homeless have found Mecca in Wichita, with all the foodbanks, shelters,and good hearted people like yourself, this is a pretty good place to be if you want to live on the edge of society.
Mary,
I volunteered to be part of the census because “inquiring minds want to know”! I’ll let you know what I find out.
The Census takers need to patrol public libraries, church facilities and other areas in order to get a proper count of the homeless. Oh, and those abandoned houses and buildings as well.
JM..Most of the volunteers will be stationed at the Diner and other institutions where they eat. I will suggest some other places that I know they can find those that do not use those services.
Mary, I would suggest that any urban center is a good place for those folks on the edge of society to congregate; Wichita, being the only such one with which most of us have any familiarity just seems to be the Mecca, not just a Mecca.
It’s not good that because of America’s big hearts and generosity we’ve enabled the growth of a huge dysfuctional subculture of people.
Prediction:The homeless counters will countX number of homeless and declare there are twice that many.
“Prediction:The homeless counters will countX number of homeless and declare there are twice that many.”
fleettwood.
don’t count on it.
“It’s not good that because of America’s big hearts and generosity we’ve enabled the growth of a huge dysfuctional subculture of people.”
Mary,
Unfortunately, there is no way to avoid enabling those who would take advantage of charity if you are going to provide for the true needy!I still believe that the majority of homeless are there because we do NOT support our veterans, we do NOT have adequate drug and alcohol facilities. The section 8 office is a disaster to work with, and far too many mentally ill have been displaced because of funding cuts. Do you know why that happens? Usually because they cut these programs when the public schools overrun their budgets.I don’t have the answers, but I think cutting down on the administrative waste and abuse would be a good place to start. If you have any good ideas, I’ll be happy to pass them on to United Way and the County.
I agree, if we worked at treating the underlying problems, then we’d see less homeless. Just handing out free food and blankets does nothing to solve the reasons why people are homeless in the first place, it just makes it easier for them to live and survive on the streets.