South downtown...how to fix this area?

[Caleb Longstreet]

Who in their right mind is going to put in a store of any note withthat constituency walking around? I work downtown only minutes from that location and the last time I ventured South of Marietta street wa senroute to a baseball game. Broad daylight, crackies walking all aroun j-walking aimlessly in front of green lights and the three cops on bikes did nothing. What? Build a store? Waht? So the same derelicts with no pot to pi$$ in let alone a window to throw it out of to suddenly "shop" there?

Shoplift maybe. A retailer wouldn't last three months let alone three years down there. No, call the 800 lb gorilla in the room out. Until you get rid of ashtray, loc dog, and dewrag wandering in a daze out of ther,ain't nothing going to come in there. I am sure someone will con the city into some grant to fix up a building to flip later at some point but, bringing mountains to those unwashed masses is not going to work. Run the crime out and maybe, just maybe someone could make a venue out of it but, considering the seven, count them, seven failed attempts to make underground atlanta go for the same reasons with the same constituents is a warning to all that this retail experiment is doomed from the start.

You know what they say about the definition of insanity don't you? Keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result is, in and of itself THE definition of insanity. We would be money ahead by getting all those dreamers to line up on Mitchell and start pounding their head's against the wall. We would get better results. Education comes to mind. You just can't fix stupid. People don't build buildings and businesses because it makes it nice for you, they build them to make a profit....sigh...why can't some people just get that simple concept. Maybe when we become Russia, you know, maybe then but, so long as we have a free enterprise system, your chances of that hell hole being transformed are slim to none.

I say put ablade on the majority of those asbestos filled relics and push until you see prosperity. THEN let the building begin.....have to put those crackies somewhere though......good luck with that!

[muxBuppie]

Originally Posted by Stars&StripesForever

1) Get rid of the homeless

2) Get rid of the ghetto shops (sneaker stores, stereo equipment stores, hair weave shops)

3) Maintain a very noticeable police presence

4) Actively encourage decent businesses to locate there, possibly with tax incentives. Maybe a community development district could be placed there.

5) More south downtown housing. Nice housing. No section 8

Because only people in the ghetto like shoes and speakers in their car.

[Stars&StripesForever]

Originally Posted by muxBuppie

Because only people in the ghetto like shoes and speakers in their car.

They're not the type of shops which would be defined as respectful retail, especially not 5 Points. Those stores attract a ghetto clientele. You know, those with droopy drawers, fake gold chains, "boom-boom" music blasting out of their "hoopties" and the like. This crowd's presence is a negative for the area, and no serious investor would be attracted to this area because of this element. Just the facts.

[arjay57]

Whether people agree with S&SF or not, he's right that things aren't going to change in south downtown until the street is cleaned up. It's just too grungy and retailers are skittish about that.

We can leave it like it is and complain like we have for the last 40 years, but it's obvious where that has gotten us.

[ATLTJL]

A low grade nuetron bomb would be a good place to start.

[StAubin]

Moving the Jail would help too

[brownhornet]

Knew it wouldnt be long before the usual stereotypes showed up.

[nyte3k]

Originally Posted by StAubin

Moving the Jail would help too

Ya, i wish that was possible lol.

Progress in that area will stop at the point when the prison becomes visible as you're heading south.

One thing I wish could happen along Peachtree in that area is maybe a nice median with flowers/plants in the middle:

1) that could make the area look a tad more attractive

2) that could keep some of those annoying jay walkers from dashing out into the street.