David Townsend: Blow K Street Up or Move On

Community Comments

But is it really Moe's fault? This is a city where anyone with a grand plan or even a halfway decent idea gets shot down -- by the Sacramento Bee, by elected officials afraid to take chances or by a clique of central city do-gooders determined to stop progress in its tracks.

Moe says the city hasn't dealt fairly with him and hasn't been a good redevelopment partner. He may be right. You get the feeling that K Street has become a joke, with the Moe, Heather and Curly act getting a little old.

So that leaves option two. Maybe it's time for the city to move on. Put K Street on hold for a few years. What's the worst that could happen? Empty storefronts, derelicts in the shadows, skateboarders on the planter boxes and empty streets at night and on weekends? Hello?

It's time to blow up the box we've put ourselves in. Time to put our tax dollars and resources where people already live and want to recreate, where those millions of dollars can really make a difference and make Sacramento an even better place.

Midtown is happening, with restaurants and shops, new condos, a vibrant night life -- a very cool place to be, day or night. And the Pavilions area on Fair Oaks Boulevard: The area doesn't even have a name and doesn't need one. Fabulous restaurants, bookstores, shops, condos, more night life.

It's time to take our limited tax dollars and renourish North Sacramento, Oak Park and any number of other places where people live and feel comfortable and really are willing to walk. Look at what's happening all on its own, a phoenix rising out of the old Fireside Restaurant in the Elvas and H Street area. (After Vice President Dan Quayle ate there, the place never recovered.) It's a real neighborhood, with real shops. It's beginning to happen.

With the collapse of Tower Records, the Tower District has fallen on hard times, but the area has real potential, especially with Tower patriarch Russ Solomon's return. Some interesting restaurants on Broadway, a historic movie theater crying out for improvement, plenty of residents of nearby "walkable" neighborhoods, available property for redevelopment, even good freeway access -- this is the kind of happening area that could make great strides with more support from our leaders.

And what about the Florin area? That's where people and businesses could use a hand. They are working hard to rebuild this area into a community. Let's give them the $10 million we're going to waste moving the train station one block. Come on, what are our real priorities: thousands of real people in real neighborhoods or a handful of misguided "preservationists" who aren't willing to let a few commuters walk 100 yards to catch an hour-late train?

The solution for the city's K Street dilemma is to blow it up or move on. I say move on.

David Townsend of   Townsend, Raimundo, Besler & Usher is an alleged political and media professional who has participated in and watched the Sacramento region for way too long.  These rantings are his alone.

• Share
  • Digg This
  • del.icio.us
  • Newsvine
  • Facebook
  • Reddit
  • Furl It
  • !Y My Web
  • Google
• Email
• Print

Recommend This

Community Comments