Monroe's Establishments/downtown

[Rmaf623]

Alexandria has had a number of projects planned similar to those in Monroe. However, not many of them have been implemented yet and a number of them seem highly unlikely in the near future. A couple of years ago, there were plans to build a condo/retail development downtown, and I haven't heard any news on this development for a while. I also haven't heard much on a sports arena that was proposed a couple of years back to be constructed in a crime infested area. Currently, city leaders in Alexandria are trying to have a marina constructed on the Red River. There have also been visions of a boardwalk type of development along the river. Hopefully, some of these plans will turn out successful. I wonder if Monroe will have better luck with its projects than Alexandria.

[LOUISIANA'SLEGEND]

You wonder? Huh? There is no wonder, all of my statements are true. Everything I mentioned is either already here or being constructed now. The condos are here on the riverfront, the construction for the marina has started, as well as the terminal. The trolley and the three new upper layer buses are here and there is a a ribbon cutting this week sometimes. And you know what, Im glad you mention Alexandria because they are actually the reason why all out "projects planned" have all gone thru.

Remember that bidding between Monroe and Alexandria for the Union Tank Car company. Alexandria won. That would have been Monroe's Mayor first achievement as the new mayor if he would have went through with it. Even though we lost, Monroe learn from it. Now almost every "project planned" goes through now within 6 months. Every possible reason for losing the bid for the Union Tank Car company has been researched to prevent this from happening, including money reasons(city has a 12 million dollar surplus for big projects such as a marina if they have to use it). The downtown is very alive now, it went from 40% occupancy to about 65% since he has been in office. The Civic Center has made improvements, and its being occupied about 80% of the time in a years time. Downtown has cafes & restaurants, children museum, many clubs, banks, ATT, 5 fully occupied offices buildings 6 or more floors, not including the Francis Tower, The Courthouse, and St. Francis Hospital. Louisville Avenue is right outside downtown. Across the river is West Monroe's famous, historic, and renovated, and enhanced downtown is right across the river. There are boat communities right outside Monroe downtown. What about the 2 year old newly remodeled riverwalk with a small clock tower and lights, it streches to 4 buildings similar to that area in Shreveport where Koko Pelis and that Chicago club is. But Shreveport dont have Austin's antique building which is up for rent every weekend.

Anyway, Monroe/West Monroe is beginning to bloom & boom. We still are the king of high school sports, the whole northern Louisiana that is.

If you want planned projects here you go: New economic car plant(Jindal is still trying to closed the deal) Casinoes(but we dont want it) Remodeled Airport, West Monroe's name change(Trenton, the proposed name, but is not gonna happen) and new overpasses, which a certain senator (whose in court now for lying on his taxes) fought have one plan terminated because it was going over his house. But everthing esle, is in the works, underway, or finished, so Monroe lets go!!!! Alexandria good luck though, i love you still but.........there something weird about central Louisiana that prevents from growing like it should..........Study places like Ferriday, Jena, and Winnfield to find out way!!!

[Rmaf623]

Yes, Alexandria has much potential to boom, but some corrupt, self-serving city leaders tend to hold the city back. Fortunately, a new mayor took office a year ago, who seems to have the ambition and foresight to move the city forward. However, he has had struggles with city council members who almost seem to want to keep the city trapped in the past.

But despite all of this, Alexandria is definitely improving and it has finally pulled out of the economic malaise that ensued after England Air Force Base left the city. In addition to Union Tank Car, some examples of economic growth include major expansions to the two local hospitals, expansions at Proctor & Gamble, the construction of a PlastiPak plant, the construction of a new power plant, & the construction of a state-of-the-art terminal at Alexandria International Airport. Major residential and commercial growth has been occurring in west Alexandria and Pineville.

But still, Alexandria has a long way to go. Monroe seems to beat Alexandria by far when it comes to entertainment. Alexandria sure could use more entertainment options. Even though some modest revitalization has occured downtown, there is much more work to be done here. Another major issue is crime.

[Phil75230]

On the other hand, a revitalizing downtown is the surest sign of a city on the upswing. All the amenites Monroe's has are great (though they certainly need more variety). Locating amenities closer to downtown means you get more variety of enterainment and amenities within a walkable distance. This simply makes the city more attractive to people. Furthermore, it cuts down on pollution, CO2 emissions, traffic jams, and all other ills traced back to the internal combustion engine, namely by saving people the trouble of having to drive half way across town to find something different. Bike paths downtown should be part of a reformed master plan.

A revitalized downtown: THAT is a large part of what makes Monroe so lacking as of now -- with all the problems mentioned so far. In short, a vibrant Downtown Monroe = a vibrant Monroe in general.

[al_roethlisberger]

I agree, *IF* Monroe could revitalize its downtown core, that would be a huge benefit. And I'd love to see it happen, I have always said that. And at one time, many decades ago, Monroe once had one of the wealthiest and fastest growing business districts in the state.

But ...... I don't even know where to begin regarding Monroe's poor downtown district today.

It has has its ups and downs, but mostly trending down for so very long. And that is such a shame. I can recall my mother talking about walking throughout downtown with her friends and family, shopping at "The Palace" and all the other stores, waiting under the bank clock for the bus, going out to eat, just hanging out and having a great time seeing everyone you knew ..... basically an outdoor Mall. That experience has been gone and forgotten for decades. All that is left operating now are a few office buildings, a handful of small business, and blowing newspaper tumbleweeds. The rest is derelict or in some state of decline.

Monroe has a very interesting history, and should be rightfully proud of its heritage. I think that Monroe has always had a great opportunity to capitalize on that history, but perhaps has not quite delivered for downtown. But remember that this is not unique to Monroe. Many small/medium cities saw their downtown districts atrophy with the advent of local, then regional malls and big-box stores. Starting in the 1960s, many cities also saw their 19th century buildings as eyesores and relics, and tore them down wholesale with plans for great renewed and modern downtown vistas.

Now of course, for those cities that foresaw the impact of the malls, or for whatever reason preserved their unique and historic downtown avenues, these have become huge assets to the community for those looking for that "small town" downtown feel, packed with boutique markets, antique stores, and restaurants. For those communities that lost these assets through apathy or destruction, they can't be recreated and are lost forever. The latter I feel is where Monroe unfortunately falls.

Through Monroe's early history, downtown Monroe had been something really special, but during the "urban renewal" of the late 1960s dragging on into the 1990s, downtown Monroe was arguably irrevocably hobbled.

Today, that effort has left behind a pock-marked assemblage of empty lots and collapsing buildings that at one time could have indeed provided a huge inventory for a revitalized downtown. But for too long, that potential was ignored or simply under-capitalized. The earliest of Monroe's buildings along the river bracketing the "old bridge" that have predominantly collapsed in the last decade specifically and sadly come to mind.

Spending a lot of time in the early 1990s during my college years hanging out downtown and exploring old buildings, it became apparent that it would be difficult to find enough usable adjacent space to create a "critical mass" for a revitalized "small town" downtown area of boutique and small business shops. I think that beyond anything else, my experience seeing the "death" of Monroe's downtown inspired me to become active in historic preservation.

Now, I wouldn't say it is impossible to revitalize downtown Monroe, and I wouldn't discourage anyone with a vision and viable business plan from attempting to do so. But I think it would take a significant investment and long-term plan.

Unfortunately the stock with which Monroe has to work is limited, and will continue to shrink as buildings deteriorate and disappear. After that, all Monroe will have are standalone examples instead of a continuous "historic" downtown fabric(which is the real asset), and that would make any effort to revitalize more difficult unless one could also prompt new and quality infill.

I can't say I am a huge fan of casinos, but in hindsight I think I can say I do harbor some minor regret that Monroe didn't get their floating palaces back in the 1980/90s when it was discussed. Maybe that would have saved some of the old buildings, and improved/rehabilitated others because nothing else came along to do so.

Being my hometown(well technically born in West Monroe), I'd love to see Monroe's downtown and the entire economy/infrastructure revitalized. But downtown has been, and will likely remain a challenge as the blight has been allowed to go on for so long may have already passed the tipping point where it can't be brought back without starting over.

Al