People must live downtown

[AllanY2525]

I agree with Jay and Penguin Nick.

One of the things that attracts people to the downtown area of any city is.....other people!
No one wants to hang out in a downtown that is empty and deserted.  Having a larger
residential neighborhood downtown would also help the businesses that are located there
by providing them with more "regular" customers.

The fact that some on this board disagree with this idea does NOT make it a "stupid" idea.


Allan

[penguin nick]

"We also don't need to increase the population of downtown....It's stupid"

I cannot believe you said the above statement.  You want people to live downtown to make it more vibrant just like Janko said.  Maybe the way your wording came out was not really what you meant.  However, if you meant what you said, can you explain your reasoning? 

[Janko]

"We also don't need to increase the population of downtown....It's stupid"

wow.  I have to admit I really disagree with this statement.  On two fronts.

(1) we need more people downtown, and not just as a parking lot on the weekend for certain events.  Businesses downtown will do much better if there is a constant population with a disposable income to buy things if they live downtown.  btw, there was a good story in NPR this morning about syracuse successfully placing a grocery store in their downtown. (a town similar to Youngstown)

(2) how is a conversation improved by calling something "stupid".  That's dems17.org talk.  We're better than that here.

Is it any more stupid than the statement "people should fly out of the youngstown airport"?

[ytowner]

The Salvation Army Building could be converted into apartments and other uses.  Converting warehouses into apartments has taken place in many other cities.  Why can't it also happen in Youngstown.

Additionally, the Wick Building, Realty Building, and Stambaugh Building should accelerate their apartment developments.

A short term goal should be 1,000 units.  This would more than double the population of downtown Youngstown.

No. Because no one has come forward to buy it.. That simple.

We also don't need to increase the population of downtown....It's stupid. Its always been the business center, never a housing center. Let the Wick and Reality Buildings go on with what they want. Never has the Stambaugh Building said they'd turn their offices into apartments, and you can check on that.

[jay]

The Salvation Army Building could be converted into apartments and other uses.  Converting warehouses into apartments has taken place in many other cities.  Why can't it also happen in Youngstown.

Additionally, the Wick Building, Realty Building, and Stambaugh Building should accelerate their apartment developments.

A short term goal should be 1,000 units.  This would more than double the population of downtown Youngstown.

[jay]

There are about 1,000 people living in or near downtown Youngstown.  The median household income is only $6,758.

[jay]

An important strategy for reviving downtown Youngstown must include the establishment of apartments for the income levels of people who typically work downtown.  I assume that most of the citizens currently living downtown are in subsidized units.  How many people above the poverty level actually live downtown?