More thoughts on Mills Park

January 29, 2008

I got quoted today in the Sentinel. hmmm.

While the article looks dark it is because of what was said (by me) but what was not said. Actually, those concerns I spoke are tangible and concrete. They really can’t be argued. But that is not what the question is. “Is Mills Park going to be built?” is what is really asked by neighbors and then usually the because’s concerns come after. Those are the concerns I mentioned.

Breaking it down it is all easy to see why those concerns exist:

Why is it on their minds?

It just reminds you every day you drive by that nothing’s happened… it’s the inactivity that’s got people worried.

True. It is empty and with the craptastic record the condos have had downtown [See Cameron Kuhn ruin a good thing] recently most everyone with out the down-low assumes that it is dying the same death.

What are the worries?

Colonialtown residents fear big-box retailers such as Wal-Mart will eventually try to gain rights to build on the site

and

They fear rats will infest the dirt lot

Okay, there is the history of real, hard core interest of the “big, nasty, scary retail” box stores, even as far as money involved. It is prime location. They would probably consider it an unsaturated market since there isn’t one within 500 feet. And the rats. Downtown has rats. We have orange trees, holes and sewers and empty lots [insert the current state of Mills Park]. They (the rats, not us) like those things. It is a concern that immediate disappears with any large scale human and machine activity, say a construction site [insert the future state of Mills Park].

What is missing is the reasons why these concerns surface. The obvious reasons of property value, health and unsightly landscaping can be deduced by the article. But it is that we bought into the concept and really dig. I would say the majority of people near are excited about what was to go in on the ground floor. restaurants, shopping and hopefully a Fr@$h Ma&%et. And when you have that level of buy-in to a project people begin to get antsy earlier, worse case scenarios sounds more plausible and the anxiety of something horrible going in instead is a bit higher.

I have to say the Christine did a good job of laying out the concerns about the empty lot. They are accurate and true. I just wouldn’t say it is a comprehensive picture of the whole deal. There is the story of Lake Formosa which is right next door to Mills Park and has the potential for the most impact from the rise or fall of the development. Plus they have had a longer and stronger communication with Pelloni as well. And the delays have been numerous, some for good reason like the environmental cleanup and funding, and others have been bureaucratic like permitting and paperwork.

Don’t get me wrong. This is not backtracking for me on the concerns,just read my previous thoughts linked below. It is just that I bought my house with the realtor touting this future and it is four years down the road. I would like to see what Pellloni talked about happen. Four years ago, Mills was a bit stagnate. New stuff is coming now and it is looking good. Julio Lima [big orange building] is leading that charge on the south side of Virgina and I like what I see grow. I don’t want Mills Park to supplant that. But I believe that both will spur the other on. There is also the thing with names, how the area will be known. I still cling to the ViMi thing but that is another story.

[check out my previous thoughts on Mills Park: Leery Now, Commissioner Responds, Developer speaks, Update 1, Update 2 plus the conversation on the name thing ]

I was asked what the worries were from the Colonialtown neighborhood. Those answers are correct and I have to stand by them. Just don’t take it as “another one bites the dust”.

I have also had the chance to speak to Justin Pelloni about my comments and hope to have more from him on that later that might have more details. And if you are in the Lake Formosa crowd, drop me a line (timwelch [at] funkeemunkeeland.com) I would love to post up some of your thoghts too.

Posted in O-Town