The downtown will survive if the merchants make money. The merchants must sale merchandise at amount greater than costs. If Streetscape will increase downtown traffic then it is atleast a step in the right direction. Reducing the merchants costs (taxes, insurance, utils) will have to be the next step.
I completely agree. Something needs to be done to beautify and attract more people to the downtown area. With a price tag of only $2MM this is a step in the right direction. The economic future of downtown AC is contingent on this project becoming a reality.
Another project that needs to become a reality is the proposed softball complex west of the bypass. AC's baseball and softball facilities are pathetic. Lets spend some money for the youths of the community and give families one more reason to reside in AC and not our neighbor 10 miles to the north.
What is so horribly wrong with our downtown as it is?
Sure, some of the buildings could stand to be updated, but what small town out there doesn't have the same problem? To me personally, the "look" of our downtown adds personality and character. If everything is updated and modernized, how are we unique?
One other big thing that people have posted on this forum so far is the claim that making our streetcape more "beautiful" will attract more people. But nobody offers any support for that statement... its just thrown out there as an unmerited claim. WHY will a $2m project bring more people? Because it looks nicer? Not hardly. Making the downtown "prettier" doesn't have any connection to bringing more people here. It might make downtown merchants more proud to be part of the streetscape, but I cannot understand how it will bring more business. People don't just say "Hmm.. you know, that Ark City spent a lot of money to beautify their downtown mainstreet... I'm going to go shop there!" or "I'm going to move to Ark City because they have a nice downtown!"
The claim that the economic future of Ark City's downtown is contingent upon the streetscape project is absolutely ludacris and unfounded! The REAL contingency is upon merchants that bring variety and a unique approach to their trade; an approach which will set them apart from online merchants, big cities, and discount stores like the Super Wal Mart -- all things that drain the life out of small towns like this. Having a quality product / service at an affordable price combined with top-notch customer service is what any and all small towns' economies are contingent upon; Ark City is no exception.
While the streetscape project is a nicety, it does not hold the future of Ark City within its influences and if taken too far, could actually be counterproductive.
Do you even know what the proposed downtown project involves??? It is not to renovate the actual downtown structures (building); that would cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
The beautification project will bring funds to:
Strip and recover of Summit Street (from Adams to Chestnut) adding some decorative accents at the major interaction.
Add bump-outs at the corner.
Add an under ground infrastructure for electrical conduit and an irrigation system.
Add new trees and streetlights.
Add sidewalk enhancements and brick crosswalks.
Since this is a "beautification project", rather than a "renovation project", it will not take away from the history of Ark City. It will enhance what has been neglected for far too long.
Making downtown more "beautiful" will attract more people. It is not only the beauty that will attract people, but it's the appearance of a safe, clean environment that the entire family can enjoy. I have lived in Kansas City, and those people will travel to the neighboring communities (Parkville, Gardener, Liberty, Blue Springs, etc.) to spend the afternoon and visit the local shops. I understand that we don't have Kansas City in our back yard, but we do have Wichita. More and more Wichitans will be traveling south in the near future to visit the casinos. Ark City is the last stop, so why not make it a worthy one?
You people stress to much about your downtown. Get over it. How long has your city been there? A 100 years or more right. Well it will probably be there long after all of you are gone. Guess what there is life outside the borders of your city, and if people want to leave AC to go shop, they will regardless of what your buildings look like, or what kind of music plays downtown. So get a life or at least expand your worries. Spend some time on anti drug programs and other crime. Oh that's right, the paper is to busy reporting on your downtown problems, so they don't focus on the other news. Sad. I think the paper and the city needs a reality check.
The city needs a whole new set of city commissioners and a new city manager in order to get some things going in Ark City. Getting higher paying jobs in the area should be the #1 priority if they want to attract more people to the area. Why should people live in Ark City when jobs only pay minimum wage? Why not go to Wichita where they can make $15-$20+/hour? The few decent jobs that pay anything rarely hire. The majority of workers at Creekstone are Mexican and are probably illegal if anyone were to have the guts to check it out. Those jobs need to be given to the people who have lived in Ark City for years and need a job, not illegals!
If the city were to recruit industries to come in, the population may increase. However, the streetscaping project is NOT going to do it....they can plant all the pretty trees and paint all the murals they want, it is not going to bring people into the area to shop. As I said before, if people want to go out of town to shop, they are going to go. There are definitely better places to shop than Ark City!
Face the facts! The town has looked the same for the last 20 years. Twenty years from now, it will STILL look the same!
See, you hinge your entire point of the streetscape being a GOOD thing on the fact that you believe it will create a more safe and secure environment... thats what you said. But as I'm looking at the list of things you pointed out, the ONLY things that might POSSIBLY make anyone feel more comfortable downtown would be the trees and streetlights... I'm not going to feel better about shopping downtown when there is a new covering on Summit Street, decorative accents at major intersections, a new underground infrastructure, and these "sidewalk enhancements" you're talking about. No way! You've completely lost touch with reality. The true fact is that most people from out of town won't even notice. If they DO, you cannot possibly believe they'll stop and think "Wow, Ark City spent a few million bucks to make pretty sidewalks and bump-outs on some of their corners! We're on our way to the Casino, so lets stop here and pay double what we'd pay for goods in Wichita were we live and have less selection!" Seriosuly... get a grip. It doesn't happen like that. The streetscape will not attract more people to this community. Its just one of thost "feel good" things the city is doing to make themselves feel like they've done something while they avoid the REAL issues and sidestep responsibility. This place needs jobs! I'm driving to Ponca City every day for a good job... one that provides a FULL benefits package, a decent starting salary, ongoing training and education, tuition reimbursement, etc.... You don't find jobs like that in Ark City and I KNOW I'm not the only one doing something like that. But you know, I can remember several opportunities that our city leaders have passed up to have jobs with those types of benefits... companies who looked at the Ark City / Winfield area but got rejected by our commissioners... where do you think those jobs are now? Not here! In fact, they're over in Independence, Kansas -- something like 2,000 jobs! Thats another thing you can thank your commissioners for when they're running for re-election.
Marlow is right. We DO need new commissioners and a new city manager. Thats the bad thing about small towns -- they're afraid of big change. Sure, small towns are usually willing to make some small changes, but for the kind of radical results you're talking about wanting, you need radical changes in order to GET those radical results. There's this old saying I really like that fits perfectly in this situation... "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got." Think about that for a minute. If we constantly re-elect the same city manager and most of the same commissioners, how in the world can we expect things to change? The honest truth is that we can't expect change. With our current leadership, we cannot expect quality jobs. We cannot expect a booming thriving downtown. We cannot expect tourism because we have almost nothing to tour! Unlike our neighbors to the north, Winfield is actually known on an international level because of the Blue Grass Festival. The only thing Ark City has that brings a few people in is the car show... but even that is down in numbers. Far less people entered the show in 2005 than they did in 2004. We don't give people a reason to come here and visit. We don't give people a reason to come here and live. And most importantly, we don't give people a reason to come here and STAY. But our commissioners and city manager try and justify it all by saying they're trying and its just a tough job to do. Well maybe then if its too tough, we need to get some people in those positions who can handle the task!
Creekstone jobs should go to people (Anglos?) who have lived here for years? Do you really believe that preference is given to unqualified, illegal immigrants over qualified locals? Do you have any evidence that most of the Mexicans are illegals as you suggest? Here's my experience. During the years I owned my own business I always dreaded the prospect of having to hire new help. As soon as my help wanted ad appeared in the Traveler, I was treated to a depressing parade of the most pathetic doofuses imaginable. Out of a dozen applicants, I was lucky to find one or two that might be OK. Over the years I hired a few who turned out to be a good choice, but they were in the minority. I could go on at length about the drunk who stole a couple hundred dollars and left empty beer and vodka bottles hidden in the shop, and the guy who turned out to have a career of moving from job to job filing bogus workers' comp claims, or the several who had the attitude that they were doing me a favor to show up because it interfered with their personal soap operas. Guess what. Every last one of them was a native born local loser. Not a Mexican, legal or illegal, in the bunch. If I still had to hire people and Jose from Jalisco showed up with proper ID, I would hire him in a heartbeat as long as he would show up on time and do the job.
Arkansas City looks the same as it did twenty years ago? I beg to differ. In the past twenty years, the Syndicate building has been turned into a vacant lot, the Missouri Pacific depot has been bulldozed, the Frisco depot has been removed, the Gladstone (Elmo) Hotel has been turned into a vacant lot, and the Ranney-Davis Building has been turned into a parking lot. Go back a few years before that, and you have the Fifth Avenue Book Store destroyed to build a bank drive-through, and the Fifth Avenue Opera House wiped out to build the Rec Center. It's a long-standing local custom to let historic buildings deteriorate for decades, and then tear them down because they've been allowed to deteriorate. Meanwhile, many of the 19th century buildings that have survived have been "modernized" and "improved" with ugly modern fronts. If, as Micheal says, there's nothing for tourists to tour, it's because of bad choices made by property owners and their elected representatives.
I personally know several Ark citians with no bad work record,willing able and ready to go to work for creekstone....and applied many times while they were advertising hiring.They were also friends with several hispanics.Lived in same complex......GUESS WHO GOT HIRED.Just read today that 75 percent of Creekstone is hispanics....well it wouldnt be if they would freakin hire OTHER PEOPLE who wish to work,who need to work to feed their families.
Didnt they just spend lots of money on a new sports complex on south end of town????
Why not something nice for EVERYONE...we go to WINFIELD all the time to Island park. Where kids can fish, feed the geese,play on playground,have a picnic and spend family time. WE NEED THAT.
The complex on the south end of town is owned and built by Cowley College. It was built to be used by the college's track and field team. In my previous post, I was referring to the land that is currently the walking/ jogging trail at the intersection of Kansas Ave. and the bypass. I'm not sure what you thought I was referring to?
You also commented on the need for a park similar the Island Park in Winfield. When the softball/ baseball complex was proposed a few years ago, it had plans for a fishing pond, playground and picnic area, concessions, batting cages, and softball/baseball fields. So, as you can see, it would be a whole lot more than just a softball complex.
The beautification of the downtown area is a good idea and seems to be very attractive. However, after spending all the money for the beautification, you still have the downtown buildings that need to be updated. The second floor windows of most of the buildings are covered up with sheet metal or wood. Some don't even have anything. If you want the downtown area to look nice, these buildings should be udated or the whole project will for nothing.
As for shopping in the downtown area, I never go downtown. There is no place to shop! I mean, what is there to shop for other than Graves (for medicine), Jans sports Shack (for sports equip), and Browns Office Supply (numerous overpriced items for the office and home) among a few others? If you do not need any of the items these few shops offer, you will go to Walmart or out of town. Now we have just lost a furniture store so we will have to contend with another VACANT building. That really looks good, doesn't it. Really shows propersity in our little town.
What happens to the yearly parade and its movement thru the town once the beautification project is completed?
Let me preface by telling you I don't know the specific details of the beautification project. But if anyone's listening, I can offer some ideas that came to mind.
In order to have a vibrant downtown area it takes more than fixing up the place. And it takes more than merchants offering better prices on their stuff. You need to offer places where people can sit down and take a break. They need internet hotspots for their laptops and a nice place to grab a cold drink. I'm advocating more "people-friendly" spots for someone to stop and relax while they visit the shops. We have a lot of this type of stuff in Lawrence and our citizens really use the downtown area. A myriad of coffee shops well spaced out, juice stop, restaurants -- some nice sit down and some fast food. You can walk downtown and choose to eat Japanese, pizza, mexican, italian, sub sandwiches, bar and grills. At night within walking distance of the parking garage or downtown parking you can catch live music from the Granada, Bottleneck, Replay Lounge, Abe & Jakes Landing -- just a ton of clubs that offer something to do. The allure of being able to grab a Ben & Jerry's treat or a plate of cheese fries lends a bit of spontaneity to the whole adventure.
I'm telling you all this because I think Ark City is stuck in that small town syndrome where all that can be done is bickering until it eats itself alive. Look at the positive and then build upon that. Make some drastic changes that benefit the experience of shopping downtown, the quality of life as a whole and the ease of use. Make it incredibly easy to have fun.
Local merchants need to accept the fact that Super Wal-Mart has flown in with its red cape and tight blue undies. They also need to embrace the ease of the internet shopping. It's frightfully easy to buy something on line with a credit card. Use that to your advantage by listing your wares on the website and offer a discount for instore shoppers who use your internet kiosks to make their purchases. Cater to the shopper and not to your inability to compete with Wichita -- it doesn't sound like you're competing anymore but, maybe given up and thrown in the town. Fight it! The internet can compliment your storefront business if you just use the technology that's out there. Yes, it's more work but, the current strategy of fighting isn't really working for you, is it?
If you truly believe that you want to make Ark City a place for out of towners to enjoy and stop, you need to FIRST make it a place where Ark Citians want to be. And I'm not seeing a lot of that attitude here.
WOW! Thanks Paper, well said, we did have a family here in town that did attempt the internet/coffee shop but our town didn't embrace it. I agree that we do need to make this a place for out of towners to want to be. Maybe the big bucks could be spent in a more efficient fashion!!!!!
Here's an idea that goes along with the theme to fix up AC. We all know how Winfield has their Island Park. Well I say AC should make 6th street pond our Island park. We could build a walking/biking track around it. Build a rotunda, install some street lights and some BBQ grills. Put benches or picnic tables around the pond close to the water. Maybe have a hotdog vender selling hotdogs. How cool would it be to go down there grab a hotdog with everything on it and sit on a bench and relax and just enjoy being outside on the water. The whole place could be landscaped to be better then Island park. There is a lot of land around there so I say build a park as well... with lots of toys.
There is already a boat ramp and a small dock which is great... but why not install a few more docks around the pond. Maybe have a set up where people could rent paddle boats and life jackets or something like that. Maybe have certain days for just paddle boats with no fishing on those days or even just certain times.
Winfield had the awesome idea of getting the community involved when they built thier castle playground at Island Park which is very nice. The community not only helped with the funding but the actual building of the new playground. We could use that idea and make it a community effort.
If anyone has anything to add I would like to hear your thoughts. I don't know what it would take to get a project like this started but I say COME ON ARK CITY... LET'S DO THIS!!!
I think making 6th street pond into a city park would be a great idea! I know that my kids love going to Winfield to Island Park and they always ask why we dont have anything here. It sure wouldn't take much to do this and it would improve on Ark City as well. So, Im all for the idea. But, how to go about getting that idea into the city officials head is the question? Will they even listen?
Noone but downtown shop owners care about the beautification project because it might get them 10k more out of their shops when they go belly up and sale.
Noone is going to go into a coffee/internet shop in Arkansas City.
(1) Why would you go into a internet cafe, pay to use the internet when you can get dialup for under ten dollars nowadays? (2) If you own a laptop you have internet/WiFi at home. (3) You can get online at the Public Library. For free.
People in Arkansas City are cheap. Why? Because the majority of people who live here - work here. People live paycheck to paycheck on their minium wage jobs and budget accordingly. They save up their money and go out of town to get more for their dollar. Why would any sensible budget-conscious person pay more for items they can get out of town cheaper? Or online? Or at a garage sale?
And dont say gas because right now gas in Wichita is $2.89 while gas in A.C. is $3.09. Why IS that so? How many people do you know who drive all the way to Newkirk to get gas?
What incentives do our City Commissioners offer to small business startups?
Making six street pond family-friendly and pretty is a noble idea but how is that going to bring money into A.C.? Who is going to take on the liability for renting out paddle boats and life jackets? Is the city going to have to foot the bill for the upkeep on the grounds? Where is the return?
skj wrote:I disagree with Marlow on two points. Creekstone jobs should go to people (Anglos?) who have lived here for years? Do you really believe that preference is given to unqualified, illegal immigrants over qualified locals? Do you have any evidence that most of the Mexicans are illegals as you suggest? Here's my experience. During the years I owned my own business I always dreaded the prospect of having to hire new help. As soon as my help wanted ad appeared in the Traveler, I was treated to a depressing parade of the most pathetic doofuses imaginable. Out of a dozen applicants, I was lucky to find one or two that might be OK. Over the years I hired a few who turned out to be a good choice, but they were in the minority. I could go on at length about the drunk who stole a couple hundred dollars and left empty beer and vodka bottles hidden in the shop, and the guy who turned out to have a career of moving from job to job filing bogus workers' comp claims, or the several who had the attitude that they were doing me a favor to show up because it interfered with their personal soap operas. Guess what. Every last one of them was a native born local loser. Not a Mexican, legal or illegal, in the bunch. If I still had to hire people and Jose from Jalisco showed up with proper ID, I would hire him in a heartbeat as long as he would show up on time and do the job. Arkansas City looks the same as it did twenty years ago? I beg to differ. In the past twenty years, the Syndicate building has been turned into a vacant lot, the Missouri Pacific depot has been bulldozed, the Frisco depot has been removed, the Gladstone (Elmo) Hotel has been turned into a vacant lot, and the Ranney-Davis Building has been turned into a parking lot. Go back a few years before that, and you have the Fifth Avenue Book Store destroyed to build a bank drive-through, and the Fifth Avenue Opera House wiped out to build the Rec Center. It's a long-standing local custom to let historic buildings deteriorate for decades, and then tear them down because they've been allowed to deteriorate. Meanwhile, many of the 19th century buildings that have survived have been "modernized" and "improved" with ugly modern fronts. If, as Micheal says, there's nothing for tourists to tour, it's because of bad choices made by property owners and their elected representatives.
You forgot the "Grand Terrace". The G.T. was the best. I always enjoyed riding my bike past it as a kid.
This is an excellant project. The future of Ark City's downtown depends on its success. The appearance of our town is very important and this project will help boost it.
